Conquest Is Easy, Control Is Not
by Florence Weasley Snape
Summary: AU.A middleaged Severus Snape is growing rather bored with his life after the fall of Voldemort and decides to take on a curious Hermione Granger as his apprentice. He'll soon realize that even though conquest is easy, control is not. Lots of lemons! R
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Not mine!

**Conquest is easy. Control is not, By** Florence Weasley Snape.

**Chapter one**

Severus Snape was not the typical middle-aged wizard who chooses to leave his wife, buy a new firebolt and grow a pony-tail after finding his very first grey hair. For one, he had no wife, he detested flying on any broom except the one he had used in his old school days and he had had long hair since the beginning of time- certainly not because it was fashionable but because he rather liked hiding behind those black greasy curtains that revealed nothing.

However, as he stood in the bathroom staring at himself in the mirror after his morning shower, he became completely aware that time had passed and that he was alone... as alone as the day he had joined the Dark Side, as the day he had sworn to be true to the Order and as the day he had helped Dumbledore and Harry Potter defeat Voldemort. He was alone in the solitude of his dungeons once again, and looking back he could not quite think of a time when he had enjoyed the company of a woman he had loved.

"Men become old, never good," he whispered as he softly pulled the hairs in his chest; his mind elsewhere.

His body had changed. He was no longer the slim and muscular young man that had captivated the young female followers of the Dark Lord. He was now not only older- wrinkles had taken over the sides of his eyes- but completely aware of the fact that those home-made elf kidney puddings were doing him no good. He used to be able to drink and eat whatever he wanted never worrying about gaining weight. But now that he was forty-something, all the fat seemed to go to the same place: his stomach. And he was worried. Facing the facts, it was obvious that witches these days were not interested in a wizard's capacity to quote the periodic table of elements but rather in broad shoulders, a muscular back and a tight bum. The very things, he was afraid, he had started to lose.

Still naked from the waist up, he touched the face in front of him reflected in the mirror like a hologram. He caressed the sides of that person's eyes and then he did the same to his own, realising in the back of his mind that they were part of the same picture. His hooked nose, his beady black eyes, his thin expressionless lips and his somewhat yellow teeth were still there. He was not handsome; not in the typical sense of the word. Until recently, he had thought that he had come to terms with that. Now, he was not so sure.

From his face his fingers moved to his neck-good-, his chest- still good- and his stomach-could use some exercise-, until he reached his hips and decided to let go of the towel covering his lower body.

His member was flaccid and now had some strange veins that weren't there in his twenties; his belly was definitely larger now but still flatter than most wizards his age. Although he had to admit it, most wizards in their forties were married and had children to worry about. They didn't have to pay much attention to their bodies. Quickly, he thought of Arthur Weasley and his bald head and smirked, feeling somewhat better. His chest was covered with black hair that grew from his pelvis to the beginning of his neck. He rather liked that. His arms were still marked with muscles and his legs and thighs were slim- and hard now that he contracted the muscles, obviously due to the night patrols that took him all over the castle. And also because of the war, of course. The war was all over him in the form of scars and mostly healed wounds.

He sighed. Overall, he was not awful looking. But things had definitely changed and not only just physically.

But when someone knocked on his door, all thoughts on the subject quickly dissipated. He quickly grabbed his black bath robe and a pair of grey underwear and pulled himself together. Who could it be this early in the morning, in the summer, when no students were there? He couldn't remember expecting someone. He panicked- something terrible must had happened, otherwise why would someone bother to look for him at this hour? Certainly, no one was inviting him to a surprise breakfast party. He laughed quietly at the idea while tidying his robe a bit. His snigger seemed rusted, as if he hadn't used it in quite some time. Still untidy and a bit nervous, he opened the door, wand in hand.

Behind it was Hermione Granger, Hogwarts' former most brilliant student and friend to Harry Potter.

"Miss Granger?" he asked, completely shocked at her presence, "What on earth are you doing here?"

Hermione swallowed hard; she was nervous. She had left Hogwarts only a few weeks before, shortly after completing her NEWTS. During the first few weeks of the summer holidays she had made a crucial decision regarding her future: she wanted to seek an apprenticeship in Potions and she wanted Professor Snape to teach her.

She knew that it wouldn't be easy of course. She knew very little about Severus Snape but what she did know was definitely enough to think he would refuse. After all, an apprenticeship was a very serious deal; a magical bond through indenture to a master craftsman in order to learn a trade. And Professor Snape was probably too busy teaching Potions to dunderheads during the day to spare any of his precious time on an apprentice, she had sadly thought.

But of course, and she knew this very well, she was no ordinary student. She had been a Gryffindor Prefect as well as a Head Girl and had battled alongside Harry Potter in the final battle against Voldemort while still managing to get top scores on her NEWTS at the end of that year. She had been described as "brilliant" and "exceptional" by all of her professors except one and had been offered a massive number of jobs from many parts of Great Britain. Every single soul had complimented on her achievements but one- Professor Snape. And even though he had made her life miserable through seven long years- so miserable, in fact, that she had sometimes cried over her parchment filled with nasty remarks in poisonous red ink- he had pushed her to do better, even if he had crashed her spirit along the way. She was now looking for exactly that. She needed a challenge. And she needed this chance.

"So? Are you going to explain yourself, Miss Granger?" he asked, breaking the awkward silence. "What are you doing here? Gryffindor Tower is too far away from the dungeons to assume that you are lost. Though, of course, I wouldn't put it past a Gryffindor," he stated before she could mutter any words.

"Professor Snape, sir," she quietly said after clearing her voice, "I've come here to talk you into a deal," she explained as rehearsed.

Severus rubbed his chin and stared down into Miss Granger's eyes. The girl was nervous. That was obvious. Her lower lip was trembling slightly and she was rubbing her hands like a first year about to be sorted into Hufflepuff. She looked very enticing with that green summer dress and flip flops. Not that he thought of any of his former students in such a fashion (or had a high regard for summer dresses or flip flops for that matter) but she had knocked on his door at the worst possible time and his mind was not in the right place. Yes. That was surely it. Or perhaps not, he smirked.

She smiled weakly, expecting some kind of cue to continue with her speech. A speech she had practised by heart for almost a week and had bored the following list of people and/or living creatures: Her parents, Ron, Harry, Pigwidgeon, Crookshanks, Mrs. Weasley, Fleur, Bill, Charlie via Floo, her cousin Maria, George Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Penelope Clearwater, Madame Rosmerta, Madame Pomfrey, Minerva McGonagall, Fawkes, Neville, Neville's plants, Neville's grandma, Neville's grandma's plants, Luna Lovegood, Luna's father, their bust of Rowena Ravenclaw, her talking mirror, Dumbledore, Gilderoy Lockhart via fan mail, Viktor Krum, Hagrid, Hagrid's giant squashes and the owls in the Owl Tower.

"Miss Granger, as much as I would love to hear you explain all about this magnificent deal, I am afraid I must take a rain check," he said grabbing the door knob to close the door in her face.

"Please," she said with a foot between the door and the frame.

Arching his eyebrow and pointing to his bath robes, he answered: "Miss Granger, I hardly think this is the time or the place to discuss any grand plan you might have."

"Of course, sir," she answered blushing. She hadn't noticed he was wearing only a robe. It was the first time in Hermione Granger's life that she had seen her former Potions professor in anything but those chaste black robes, buttoned up to the neck. Looking back, it should have been the first thing she noticed but she had been so driven and so focused on her speech that she had barely paid attention to the portraits calling her _mudblood_ on her way to the dungeons, let alone Professor Snape's choice of attire, "Shall I wait for you in the Potion's classroom, then, sir?", she asked innocently.

"If you must," he replied coldly and paying little attention to the foot standing in the way, he slammed the door shut. Hermione barely managed to get her foot out in time. She could have hurt herself badly. _He_ could have hurt her badly. She shrugged. If that was all it took for him to say "yes", she would gladly embrace a foot injury, though Hermione Granger knew that those kind of injuries were last thing she would have to worry about. She sighed and started walking the very familiar path towards the potions classroom.

Inside his chambers, Severus Snape was smiling wickedly (because Slytherins only smile in such a way) as he took his robe off and walked to his bedroom to get dressed. He wasn't entirely sure why he was smiling but he had an idea of the reasons behind his grin. He had grown rather bored with so much time on his hands now that there was no one to torture- students were in their summer break- and no one to spy for- Voldemort was dead. He wondered silently what Miss Granger would want to discuss with him as he buttoned his black robes. Whatever that may be, it could prove to be entertaining if he had his way. Yes- very entertaining indeed.

* * *

As soon as she reached her old classroom, Hermione Granger sat in her usual spot in the very front and crossed her legs. It felt strange being there without her school uniform; naughty even. She rather missed school- even if she had only recently left- and, if nothing else, getting this apprenticeship with Professor Snape would allow her to prolong her stay at Hogwarts for two whole years. And she loved the idea. But of course, she reminded herself, being Professor Snape's apprentice would feel nothing like Hogwarts at all.

After the war she had received many job offers from the Ministry but she had declined them one by one, too depressed at the thought of being stuck behind a desk for the rest of her life. She needed an intellectual challenge. She wanted to expand her mind and learn a skill. Teaching had always seemed attractive but it wasn't until the idea of apprenticing for Professor Snape crossed her mind that she had considered Potions at all. She was, of course, very interested in the subject ever since his speech that very first day of class- "to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses"- and since her experimentation with the Polyjuice Potion in the middle of her second year that had transformed Harry and Ron into Crabbe and Goyle. The problem was that Hermione was equally interested in many subjects: she loved the veracity of Arithmancy, the creativity in Transfiguration, the delicacy in Herbology. But Potions was differently mainly because of Professor Snape and the way he had always treated her: without privilege. If she wanted to learn and become the best, she needed to learn from the most ruthless, cold-hearted Potions Master in the world. And sure enough, Severus Snape fit the description to perfection.

So buried in her thoughts was Hermione that she didn't quite hear when Severus Snape entered the room from his office; his robes billowing behind him. She was actually staring at a particular spot in the floor, completely immersed in her own thoughts, when she heard the distinct sound of a quiet cough and then of leather boots hitting the wooden table in front of her.

She gasped. He had obviously caught her off guard.

"I am waiting, Miss Granger…," he said with his feet up in the air.

That was certainly not a very Snape-ish pose, or at least that's what Hermione thought, and she cursed herself for not practicing her speech more because that particularly insignificant, but rather unpredictable, position had left her at a loss for words.

"Yes, Professor Snape. As I was saying before…," she stopped trying to remember exactly what she had said, "I've come here to talk you into a deal,"

"Yes, Miss Granger. I think we've covered that. What is this deal about, then?", he asked with a grin, "What could a bossy know-it-all Gryffindor have that I would want?"

"Well, Professor Snape…," she started again, "as you may well know, I am now of full age and therefore completely capable of seeking higher education. I have chosen to learn a skill through a Master of the discipline and become one myself," she said very matter-of-factly even though her knees had turned to jelly the moment he had stepped into the room.

"I am sure Minerva will find your company very pleasant. However, I fail to see what that has to do with me," Severus said.

"Well, I thought I had made it clear enough, Professor. It is you I want as my mentor. I wish to seek higher education within Hogwarts grounds with you. I want to become a Potions Mistress myself," she explained.

Severus said nothing. Instead, he studied her face. Her features depicted fear, trepidation and anxiety.

"Very well, Miss Granger," he said after a few moments, "And what is this magnificent deal you were talking about earlier in my chambers? So far, I've only heard what you want, what you need...," he said standing up and walking closer to where she was, "What is it you have to offer _me_?"

Hermione hadn't thought that part through very much. What did she have to offer? Money, of course, but she somehow sensed the proposition would insult him.

"I thought I might do what every other apprentice does, sir," she said with apprehension.

"And what is that, Miss Granger?," he asked; his voice pure silk.

"Work. I will work for you for free. I will clean your classroom, tutor your students, watch over your detentions. I will correct your papers and even cook your food, wash your clothes…"

"Surely you don't think I would spend two years explaining everything I know to you for just that, do you?," he asked. He was walking in circles around her, studying her every move.

"I thought my offer was reasonable," she said, her gaze never leaving Snape, her neck turning around dangerously in an Exorcist sort of way.

"You must do better than reasonable, Miss Granger," and with that he stopped, walked closer to her desk and crossed his arms neatly over his chest.

Hermione had no idea what to say next. Her mind was running wild with many propositions but somehow she didn't think that Snape would agree to any of them.

"Don't waste my time, Miss Granger," he said after a while, staring down at Hermione who was lost in her own turmoil of thought, "How badly do you want this?"

"Very badly, sir," she answered truthfully looking up at him. Severus almost choked at her response; she seemed so vulnerable… almost asking for his protection even if it was of an intellectual nature.

"I see," he said bitterly, "then you wouldn't mind if I fill in the blanks,"

"What do you mean, Professor?" she asked intrigued.

"What this means is that I have no idea what I want at the moment, Miss Granger. But I do know this: there will be a time during this apprenticeship when I most definitely will. And whatever that may be, you will not refuse me. Is that clear?" he said very softly, arms still crossed, eyebrow so dramatically arched it almost touched his hairline.

"It won't actually involve se…," she started to say and then stopped, completely aware of the man standing in front of her. This was Professor Snape. Of course he wasn't talking about any kind of sexual favours. This man was asexual. He lived in his dungeons, secluded from the world. Not to mention the fact that she was his former student, and one that he had detested at that.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Miss Granger. Could you please make yourself clear?" he said while he walked back to his desk. She was facing his back so it was impossible for him to see the smug smile that had taken over his face.

"Nothing, sir. Nothing at all. Do we have papers to sign?" she asked standing up, her dress winkled a bit.

"Yes. That is, of course, if you accept my conditions," he explained.

"I do, sir," she said confidently.

"Very well, Miss Granger. Very well," he said opening the door to his private office, "This way".

Have you ever heard of the expression: "Be careful with what you wish for because it may come true"? Hermione had no way of knowing this at the time when she signed her two year apprenticeship contract with Severus Snape, but that was just the case.

* * *

**Authors Note: **

1) This first chapter is very similar to "What E'er Therein Is Promised" by Deeble (a must-read) but I promise that the resemblances stop there. Her story was all about the contract and Fauste and not selling your soul- even if you really really want it- and this story will have none of that

2) This story is AU, after all. I just cannot write a proper fic without Dumbledore anymore.

3) So, what do you think so far? Is the beginning too boring? I just thought that describing Snape as an insecure bloke was more reasonable than this Sex-God! kind of character most fics want to depict. Of course, HE IS a sex god but he is also a human being and he is lonely and he is getting older… and he has given his life away and now he is at a cross-road. Of course this is not relevant NOW but it will. Because this is a HG/SS fic and even if I want to make it original clichés will abound.

4) Lastly, English is not my first language but I trust it is good enough for you to make sense of it.

5) A very big THANK YOU to my beta readers: Beth, Leigh, Melissa and Cami. You are all wonderful and I will buy you Chocolate Frogs with Snape cards on them! ;)


	2. Chapter 2

**Conquest is easy. Control is not.** By Florence W. Snape.

**Chapter 2:**

Two months had passed since Hermione Granger and Professor Snape had signed the contract. The light autumn breeze softly caressed the cheeks of whoever went outside. It was the weekend so many students were playing Quidditch, enjoying the still warm sun around the lake or simply taking long strolls around the Hogwarts ground, the leaves dancing above their heads like butterflies.

But that was not the case for one Hermione Granger who had grown so pale since her arrival that she now resembled a ghost, a vampire. She was, in short, a shadow of the woman she used to be. This odd fact (odd because Hermione had always had such beautiful rosy cheeks) could be easily explained if we take into consideration Severus Snape's attitude towards work.

"Professor Snape, the Blood-Replenishing Potion Madame Pomfrey requested is almost complete. I was wondering, since it's such a lovely day and Ginny is still a student of the school, if I may be allowed to finish the rest of my essay outside, in her company?" she had asked one afternoon, her head down in an obedient gesture.

"I think not, Miss Granger," he had replied dryly, his gaze never leaving the parchment he was correcting, "I was under the impression that you wanted _this_".

"I do, sir, I do," she quickly had said, "and I will finish it. But I haven't left the dungeons since I arrived here and…"

"Spare me, Miss Granger," he had replied, "I should have know better than to sign a contract with a Gryffindor. I daresay, they lack the backbone we Slytherins possess when it comes to life goals. We would never get distracted by such mundane things as the _sun, and friends_," he had said, a look of utter disgust when pronouncing those last three words.

Hermione Granger had blushed and had remained silent for a while, as if trying to figure out a way to respond to what Severus Snape had just said but no matter how much she had tried, she had come up with nothing. Turning her back so he couldn't see her cry, she had continued stirring the Blood-Replenishing Potion five times, anticlockwise, then had stopped, then again, then had stopped, then again, then had stopped …until she made sure that _"sun and friends"_ become no longer an issue.

It was now another day in the dungeons and as they were cutting the ingredients for yet another potion- a Confusing & Befuddlement Draught this time- Severus was studying Miss Granger's features only to realize how much she had changed in such a short period of time: she had grown paler and skinnier, her hair was weaker and greaser and her work robes were dirty and wrinkled.

He liked it. Not because he found those characteristics appealing in the least- she was slowly becoming a female version of himself, tiny nose aside- but because they were living proof that he was breaking her. He rather liked torturing Hermione Granger to the point of breaking her spirit. He knew she could do better and he wasn't her best friend- he kept it real. Plus, he was her mentor, her master; he owned her spirit to crush at leisure. She had granted him that privilege and he was planning to make her fully fulfil his wishes- but not yet. She should want it. In fact, she had to want it. She had to beg him to wish for _that_. Severus smirked and with one long finger brushed Hermione's hair away from her eyes. She smiled and continued cutting the Levisticum officinale (lovage herb) needed for the potion they were concocting.

"No, Miss Granger, no!," he said some time later with a tiny knife in his hand. He was holding it like medi-witches usually hold cutters, "you are cutting this herb in the wrong way. You need to do cut it diagonally" he explained while walking slowly to where she was.

"Oh, I see," she said, "like this?". She started cutting the lovage herb as diagonally as she could and focused all of her energy on it, a frown of concentration taking over her face.

"No, no, no," he had whispered slowly into her ear, his pelvis touching the small of her back so unexpectedly it made Hermione gasp for air, "it's like this," he explained cutting the herb with his own small knife, his arms around her arms, embracing her.

Hermione looked up. She was breathing heavily and paying little attention to the cuts Professor Snape was performing on that poor lovage herb; too shocked to ask any questions on the subject of Potions.

"Pay attention, Miss Granger," he whispered softer, if that was even possible, "Are you prepared to do it yourself?"

He was slightly grinning when he broke physical contact. The truth was he had been dying to do exactly that since the beginning of her apprenticeship but he had been afraid of scaring her. Frightening Hermione Granger at an early stage would be stupid, he kept reminding himself often. She could easily move on to other masters, even if she, as she so eloquently put it, "wanted no one but Severus Snape to teach her". He had to wait enough time so as to leave her without options, trapped in his dungeons like a mouse. A toy mouse his big snake could play with.

So he was smiling when he broke away from Hermione. He was smiling like he hadn't smiled in a while. His little act had left her flabbergasted, her mouth opening slightly even after continuing with the task he had left her.

_Levisticum__ officinale _had never been cut so diagonally.

* * *

That night Severus Snape went to The Three Broomsticks for some firewhiskey. It was Friday, after all, and after a week of cold showers thinking about Hermione Granger and the best way to lure her into his bed, he felt he deserved a drink.

"Fill it up," Severus ordered as he had sat on one of the very few empty bar stools available.

He was feeling good. It had been a good a week, all in all. He had made enormous progress that very afternoon when teaching that silly little girl how to cut herbs diagonally. He raised his eyebrow and smiled a bit. Her reaction had been spectacular. And he was proud of himself. Only two months ago he had looked at himself in the mirror with despair and regret. Now, as he drank the entire contents of the glass in one go and requested a refill, he felt grand. Powerful. Another refill. Capable of anything. Another refill. Condemned to succeed. He was going to bed Hermione Granger. And he couldn't wait.

"One glass of whiskey too many, ain't it, Professor Snape?" Madame Rosmerta jokingly asked, smiling slightly as she wiped Severus' side of the table.

Severus smirked as he raised his head slowly but gracefully for a man in his fourth glass of firewhiskey. He wanted to avoid all conversation with Rosmerta; he wasn't really fond of her.

"Right, Professor?" Rosmerta asked again louder this time, sure that the reason behind Severus' silence was his lack of hearing.

But before Snape could actually answer, a woman's voice pierced into his mind forcing him to turn around.

"Pretty snobbish for a man who fainted in the middle of tavern due to an excess of alcohol," she said. "Madame Rosmerta asked you a question, didn't he, pumpkin?,"

Severus had to rub his eyes just to make sure his brain wasn't playing dirty tricks on him.

"Of course, Penelope… I should have known it was you. Only women of your profession dare show their faces in such clothes at this time of the night," Severus retorted after a few moments of silence.

Penelope laughed, letting the red cloak that covered her shoulders slide to the floor revealing muggle clothes, always a trigger for middle aged wizards looking for company. Her short red dress exposed her milky white skin which, Severus was sure, had been savoured by many men throughout her career, if one could call it that.

"Sure you can call it a profession, Severus," Penelope answered, as if reading the mind of the man standing in front of her. "I make a very good living out of it,"

"I am sure you do," he carelessly answered, shaking his head tenderly to side to side, "…a woman of your many talents," he continued, grinning faintly.

"Indeed," she whispered as she walked all the way to where he was and sat next to him.

"God. I had to sit in the only two consecutive empty stools in the whole place, didn't I? What are you looking for, Penelope?" he enquired, too tired to play mind games. "Why are you here?"

"Nothing special brings me here, Professor Snape. I was urgently in need of morphine," she confessed, taking Snape's glass in her own hand and drinking the firewhiskey at once. "I imagine," she continued after cleaning the alcohol out of the corners of her mouth with her forearm, "you are here for the same reason. A mid-life crisis, perhaps?"

Severus grinned once again as he ordered Madame Rosmerta to fill him up with another drink.

"Not precisely," he answered; there was enough whiskey on his breath to make a small boy dizzy.

"It was high time you thought about your future," she sincerely said, serious for the first time since she had entered the Three Broomsticks.

"The alcohol must be deceitful because I heard you talking about the future," he said ironically, drinking the remaining drops of his last glass of whiskey. "There is no such place for rotten souls like ours. We are living on borrowed time because, truth is, we should have died a long time ago. The world would be a far better place if we could spare people our existence."

Penelope swallowed hard as her head dropped forward; she refused to look at Severus in the eye because, deep down, she had the impression that the man sitting next to her spoke words of truth and despite all appearances to the contrary, Severus' little speeches carried a lot of moral weight in Penelope's mind.

They had met some twenty years ago in a not-so-pleasant gathering at Lucius Malfoy's manor and, together, they had joined the Dark Side when older men with black hoods had tattooed in their skin what they represented and who they belonged to- "just like cattle," Severus pleasantly remembered every time he ran into Penelope.

Had they shared love?

Of course not.

Had they shared passion and lust?

Death Eaters interact carnally with each other guided only by these feelings.

"Are you in need of company?" she finally asked, her cheeks flushed, "because I could keep you warm on this awfully cold night. After all, it is only us, Severus… there is no one waiting for us to return."

"I am afraid, dear, that I do not carry that amount of money with me and above and beyond all things, Penelope, I am not that desperate for warmth," he said cynically, knowing perfectly well the effect of his words.

Even though he knew his last sentences were daggers thrusting passionately into that middle-aged woman's flesh, he couldn't help but delight in the sight of her blood curving a path of red through her milky white skin. After all, he kept repeating to himself, he was evil by nature and fighting oneself is a lost battle, almost helpless.

"You know you do," she said sincerely after a moment's silence, not taking her eyes off the floor but grabbing Severus' wrist firmly with the aim of preventing him from going away.

"Penelope, this is ridiculous and pointless," he snapped while shaking his right hand continuously. "Let me go."

"Why are you so eager to leave? Who is waiting for you, Severus? No one, of course. What are you looking forward to the most in the solitude of your dungeons? Reading a book on Potions, stroking your black cat, sleeping in your cold bed, masturbating until you fall asleep? I cannot understand your mind, Severus. I was incapable of doing so then and I see no improvement in that department. However, my offer is, at least, tempting."

Severus looked down at the blond woman with fury in her eyes. How dare she accuse him of such a thing? He definitely did not own a black cat. It was Miss Granger who had that insufferable yellow creature as a pet. As soon as he remembered Hermione Granger, he got an idea that would work to his advantage in this deliberate game of seduction he was playing with Hermione Granger. After all, Penelope was surely beautiful despite the subtle wrinkles around her eyes- perhaps even because of that- and she looked rather desperate and alone. Why not bed her and let Hermione Granger hear them? It would definitely give her an idea of what to expect if they were to ever become intimate, and he hoped they would. Moreover, it would give him a chance to study her reactions and plan the next stage of his plan.

"Yes, very tempting indeed," he said, "I am truly sorry I was so rude to you just moments ago. You are right. I am lonely and I don't want to be anymore,"

Penelope smiled widely thinking that last statement was directed to her. Of course she had no idea he was actually talking about Hermione Granger. But, Severus thought as he grabbed her by the waist and dragged her out of the Three Broomsticks, it wouldn't have made a difference if she did.

Once outside, with one quick thought, they apparated outside the gates of Hogwarts Castle.

* * *

While apprenticing for Professor Snape, Hermione Granger was to sleep in the dungeons. Bye, bye to the airy and sunny Gryffindor Tower. Hello to the dark and cold rooms of Slytherin House. Two months had passed but she still found those rooms difficult to get used to.

She had no life. She spent every waking- and now sleeping!- hour trapped in _his_ dungeons (not the school dungeons, but _his_) preparing _his_ potions, grading _his_ essays, polishing _his_ shoes. She really didn't mind the chores at all. Sure, they were breaking her body and she was tired all the time but it was a good kind of tired, if such a thing is even possible. She felt good after doing them because it balanced things out a bit: _he_ was teaching _her_, _she_ was paying _him_. Things were exactly like she had planned. After all, working for free had been her suggestion in the first place. She wondered what Professor Snape was up to with all the meaningless chores he was giving her (when he had clearly refused in the first place) and all the whispering in her ear while cutting herbs that afternoon.

Surely there was something else. She wondered what it could be.

As she wondered, she got into bed and pressed her head on her pillow, resting her mind of all worries. But the silence didn't last long, of course. She heard a very loud "clap" that made her jump and then, more silence.

She sighed in irritation. There was one thing that bothered her about living in the dungeons more than anything: she had to endure Professor Snape's noises all the time. Surely, those weren't necessarily horrible and awful noises. Just the usual: snores, doors being slammed shut, the noise of the fire, the sound of books falling. But, nevertheless, she felt uneasy about that small door that separated her small bedroom from his living room. She had no idea why, though.

As she was about to close her eyes that night, thinking of the small physical contact she had had with Snape earlier that afternoon and what it all had meant, a loud moan interrupted her thoughts.

She panicked, sitting up in her bed to hear better, all her attention focused on the sound of utter silence. For a while, there was nothing. Surely, that couldn't have been him, right? Could he be injured? But, why? Where had he been? Shaking her head from all possible conclusions, she listened hard. Again, nothing. She sighed in relief.

"Hmmm,"

'What is going on?,' Hermione thought. Quickly getting up from her bed and walking towards the door, she opened it slightly just to make sure he was okay.

But, oh, it wasn't Severus Snape who was moaning. No, no, no. It was a woman sitting with her back to Hermione. Her neck was bent to one side and Severus was sucking away the flesh where her neck and shoulders met, her body trembling with desire.

Hermione gasped for air once more- but now in a very dramatic way- and closed the door a bit but not completely. She didn't want to make any sounds that may alert Professor Snape of her presence. How embarrassing that would be!

'Oh. My. God. What is Professor Snape doing?' she asked to herself, biting her lower lip slightly, 'it couldn't possibly be…'

Shaking her head in disbelieve, she tiptoed to her bed, pressed her head on her pillow and tried very hard to sleep.

But he didn't- the idea of a silencing spell was terrible off-putting somehow.

* * *

"Feel free to take off your clothes, Severus. Unless you wish to fuck me fully clothed," she whispered as he took a break from her neck.

"I know this speech of yours by heart now, Penelope," Severus stated as he removed his black leather shoes and belt. "I want you naked,"

"Of course, I should have known," she whispered, more to herself than to the man who was now nude from the waist up. Penelope bit her lower lip; his back was wide and muscular with several tiny moles along his spine. 'Not bad for a man his age,' she thought with amusement as she caressed his back with her index fingers only. She wanted to lick her way up and down, savouring the taste of his flesh. But before she could do anything- unzip her dress, take of his trousers, taste his cock- he spoke with the same confident tone of voice he used in his classroom.

"I want to do it against the wall, from behind," he commanded as he removed his trousers magically revealing his semi erect shaft.

"I know you can do better than that, Severus," she commented with a wide grin on her face obviously recalling old experiences.

Severus wanted to grin as well. And yet, he couldn't. He almost felt pity for the human being with whom he was about to share an intimate moment. _Almost_. Reality was he was too excited about the possibility of Hermione Granger listening to this conversation, watching him almost naked, desiring him as much as he had learnt to desire her, to think about pity and regret.

He watched as Penelope took her dress off manually and this time he did allow himself a smile. She certainly had a gorgeous body. And that blonde hair used to drive him insane. Of course, he was now in the market for brunettes but Penelope would be his last indulgence.

"Come," he ordered. And go she did. Resting her head on his chest, she giggled while he unclasped her bra and played with her nipples- now fully erect due to his playful caress.

He wasn't planning on being a gentle lover to a whore. He wanted Miss Granger to hear- to see!- what having sex with a man like him was like and he wanted her to like it.

Grabbing her blonde hair with brutality, he pushed her against the wall and pulled harder until the back of her head was resting on his chest, her back arched, her ass rubbing against his erection.

"Touch it now," he commanded while rubbing his fully rigid member on her buttocks. He was still wearing his underwear when she searched for Severus' stiff cock. Granted, it was an uncomfortable position for her to work her way around his dick but he felt so hard, warm and wet under her palms she was afraid of over-working him.

"Take it off," he barked, not letting go of her hair.

And with a flick of her wand, his underwear was gone leaving him completely naked ready to thrust deep inside of her. But no. Not yet. Without turning around, she wrapped Snape's shaft with one hand and started stroking it rapidly, caressing the head gently until it released a few drops of a white nectar she would be delighted to drink.

"Do not dare use your mouth on my body," he quietly warned her as he pulled her hair a little bit, indicating Penelope which position to assume.

With her arms fully stretched, she was now bent forward with her bottom facing Severus' cock. For a second there, he was tempted to fuck those round pieces of meat but he knew better. Many men had been to that place and even though the same criteria could be used with her vagina, Severus refused to think about it now when pleasure was so near.

Strongly enough, he thrust deep into her until the tip of his shaft hit the end of the tunnel making her shout out of a mixed combination of pleasure and pain. One, two, three thrusts. They were slow but deep. Penelope moaned harder and harder every time he went back inside, but he wasn't really into her voice.

His head was completely turned to the right, his gaze resting on Hermione Granger's door. It was closed but not fully. Could she be watching all of this? The idea aroused Severus to the point of no returning. He tried hard to maintain his head straight for five minutes as he continued to push back and forward into Penelope's insides, but he couldn't.

The idea of pure, innocent, almost virginal Miss Granger watching him fuck this whore was too much for him to handle. He could hold his orgasm no longer. Faintly moaning for the last time, Hogwarts' most feared Potion's Master exploded in Penelope, his eyes never leaving that door.

He felt dizzy and his mind was spinning, partly because of the alcohol but also because of the mind-blowing liberation of sperm. And, of course, the fantasy- or was it real? Severus had no idea but he pretended to find out.

"That was amazing," she confessed. She was now sitting on the sofa and looked like a woman who wanted to stay.

"I am afraid you cannot stay longer. Thank you for the practical demonstration of your many talents, Penelope," he said as he walked all the way to where the door was and opened it for her, "Clothe yourself and leave, please,"

Penelope's smile turned into a scowl and pulling her dress up and her cloak on as quickly as she could, she walked to the door.

Bending slightly, he kissed her on the cheek and handed her a small pouch with some galleons. "Thank you," he whispered softly.

"You are welcome, Professor. I am sure silently watching those little girls with tiny skirts all day long must drive you insane. Next time you want to escape from the fact that you can't fuck one, pay me a visit," she said out loud, closing the door behind her.

Of course, not all students with tiny skirts could produce in Severus what one in particular could. Smiling gently he moved his head from side to side, as he walked towards the couch Penelope had been sitting on.

He gathered his clothes very quickly but decided to leave them off as he walked his way towards his own bedroom.

Tum. Tum. Tum.

Could those be footsteps? Perhaps scared footsteps? Did Hermione Granger think he was about to storm into her bedroom and fuck her senseless? What kind of superman did she think he was?

Oh. But he was missing the point completely. She had been watching. She had been resting her head against the wall, touching her clit furiously while he fucked Penelope against the wall thinking of her.

"My little voyeur," he said with a whisper. And then, another idea crept though his mind. Oh, this was grand!

Running towards his bedroom, he opened his cupboard and started throwing things out. He was obviously looking for something in particular. After several tense moments of trepidation- 'where could the house-elves have put it?'- he found it.

Oh. Glory.

A/N:

1). Scream with me: "AHH!". What an evil cliff-hanger. What was Severus looking for? Well, you'll find out in the next chapter- one word: LEMONS. But please tell me, what do you think of the story so far? I know that HG/SS fans hate it when Severus touches another woman but it was necessary. You'll thank me next chapter!

2). Many thanks to Beth, Leigh, Cami and Melissa, my amazing Beta Readers.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **Severus and Hermione aren't mine. Everything you see (except this plot!) is JK's. What a shame.

**Conquest is easy. Control is not **By Florence W. Snape

**Chapter 3: **

In the past, whenever Hermione Granger had had an orgasm, she had felt relaxed and in complete harmony with her body. After all, there's nothing like pleasure to put one's mind at ease. Always with a smile on her face, she had gone to bed rested and sleepy, happy to have reached such a wonderful sensation by herself.

But this time everything was different.

Hermione was now panting. What she had seen had taken her by surprise and she felt disgusted with the situation, with herself, with him, with that whore he had fucked against the wall. Not to mention disgusted with the words "Snape", "whore" and "fuck" being together in the same sentence. She was feeling excited, nervous and agitated. And those were feelings you wouldn't necessarily connect with satisfaction. But then again, Hermione's experience with sex was as weak as Neville Longbottom's performance in Potions, so she had no way of knowing this.

She had only done it with Ron, once and it hadn't been all that she had hoped for. It had been awkward having Ron's finger inside of her first, exploring her depths. His thrusts had been violent and his touch clumsy, his words corny and rehearsed, his performance all too short.

After that night, she had come to the conclusion that she liked sex better with herself than with Ron and they had parted ways, any romantic future shattered by sexual frustration.

But as Hermione laid one hand over her chest to feel her heartbeats grow weaker after several minutes of deep breaths, Ron was the last thing on her mind. Her other hand was still in between her legs which were now pressed shut in some kind of Freudian reflex act and her mind was racing through the images she had just witnessed.

'Deep breaths,' she thought to herself before panicking again, her head against the wall opposite her bed, near the door. She hadn't moved an inch after cumming. She had the slight suspicion that her legs would give in if she even tried. What she had seen Professor Snape do was out of this world. That woman's moans had been like nothing she had heard before. Not that she had the chance to observe such pornographic scenes on a regular basis. Not at all. She had even surprised herself when, after several minutes of thoughtful deliberation on the contrary, she had gotten up from bed and opened the door a little bit to spy on the couple having sex in the living room.

Thinking about it now, she still could find no answer. What had possessed her to stand up and watch? Curiosity or arousal? Hermione was almost certain it was a mixture of the two but wouldn't dare to admit it out loud.

Of course she had enjoyed it. That much couldn't be denied. Her fingers were wet and her clit felt sore. She had never felt the need to release with such violence before- certainly not when in bed thinking of Viktor Krum or even after that dreadful night with Ron. What had really driven her over the edge was Professor Snape's gaze fixed on her bedroom door. Watching him watching her was as kinky as Hermione had ever gotten. But surely, she kept reminding herself, he hadn't actually looked at _her,_ but at the door. It bothered her that the idea of him getting off had nothing to do with her. Of course, that last thought was even more upsetting that the first. Was she actually fantasizing about Snape?

'Low blood sugar,' she reminded herself as she smiled weakly, still on the floor but much more relaxed now that all images of Snape shagging another woman were off her head. As long as she pushed those memories aside, her mental health would remain intact. After all, what would he think of her if he knew she had witnessed the whole thing? It wouldn't do to raise any suspicions. He was her master after all and they needed to relate to each other in a master/apprentice sort of way. That was the professional thing to do and Hermione was nothing but professional.

She tried to stand up and failed. Sleeping on the hard wooden floor was out of the question. She tried again and failed. But just as she was about to try a third time, a distinctive sound made her stop on her attempts to stand.

Tum. Tum. Tum.

Her heart froze. That was surely him walking to her room. What if he had seen her watch the whole thing and was coming to her bedroom to reprimand her? What if he decided to call their deal off because of her voyeurism? Hermione panicked. She could even feel the adrenaline being pumped through her veins. Gathering all the strength she had left, she finally stood up and ran to her bed, pulling the sheets over her head and closing her eyes. If nothing else worked, she could always pretend to be sleeping.

But to her surprise, he didn't storm into her room or point his wand at her or destroyed the contract in her face. He had gone to his room, as far as she could tell. She smiled in triumph; she hadn't been caught after all.

'Hold that thought,' she thought to herself as she heard the terrible racket coming from Snape's bedroom. She panicked again. What could he be looking for? What kind of punishment was he thinking of? Shutting her eyes close again and faking a snore she held her breath when she heard his footsteps again. This time he was definitely coming to her room. Grabbing her wand tightly under her sheets, she wished hard that she wouldn't have to use it.

* * *

He had found it at last in the very back of his closet. He had bought it a long time ago and he had waited patiently for the right moment to use it on someone. It was still in the box and it was wrapped as a present with a black ribbon on the top. He was excited to give this to Miss Granger. He wondered how she would react. After all, that had been the point of it all; of fucking Penelope, of slowly whispering things in her ear, of pressing himself against her: to study her reactions and logically move on the next step of the plan.

There was always the chance that she could slap him in the face and run to the headmaster. But after their brief physical contact that very afternoon and after catching her watching him have his way with Penelope, he was almost sure she wouldn't reject his present even if out of curiosity.

Just in case, he wrote a small note in a piece of parchment and addressed the envelope he stuck in the back of the box to Hermione Granger. Putting the present under his arm, he put his cloak on and walked to her bedroom, then softly knocked on her door.

No one answered.

He knocked again, softly still. But no one answered. He smirked.

'My shy little voyeur,' he thought to himself as he opened the door slightly.

She was in her bed facing the wall, covered from head to toe, not moving in the least and snoring loudly.

'Pathetic actress,' he thought smiling at the beautiful sight of her curls all over the pillow. He wanted her in his bed badly but not now, not like this. She had to want it as bad as he did, even more so. And this little present of his would probably help. But it wouldn't do to wake her- she would act defensively and he didn't want that. Luckily for him, he had thought about the letter.

He smiled as he left the box in the clean night table next to her bed. He, then, caressed the empty spot in her pillow smiling even wider and left, closing the door neatly behind him.

As soon as he did so, her eyes opened violently. Turning silently in her bed, she unwrapped the present magically so as to not make any noises. When she finally finished, she opened the lid of the box and gasped.

It was a small vibrator- but still larger than Ron's penis anyway- and it was wrapped in yet another black bow. Hermione's mouth opened slightly as she took the fake dick out of the box, untied the black ribbon and proceeded to examine it.

It was white and plastic and it felt hard. She was grinning despite the initial shock, very much like a child smiles at a new toy. She wrapped her hand around it and stroke it up and down just to know what that felt like. She had never done it on Ron. He was already too eager to be inside of her to wait. So she quite enjoyed the sensation of having a dick- even a fake one- for the first time in her hand. It was small but nice. It would fit perfectly in a small box she had bought in Diagon Alley. She would keep it hidden in the very back of her night table drawer and use it only in special occasions.

'What am I thinking,' she reminded herself, shaking her head dramatically.

She quickly let go of the vibrator as if it were cursed and searched frantically for the box. It was dark so it took a few to seconds to find. As soon as she did, she grabbed the white vibrator and threw it in the box, disgusted with herself, with him, with the gift, with the moisture between her legs and with the false sense of curiosity that had made her touch that _thing_ in the first place.

Severus Snape was seriously ill. He had gone mental. She should have known this would happen when he pressed himself on her, almost rubbing himself against her back. She should have known better than to receive a gift from a Slytherin. Nothing good ever comes from that house. And this was no exception.

Just as she was about to re-wrap her present again so as to leave it in the coffee table early in the morning, she came across an envelope in the back of the box.

"_Lumos_," she said pointing her wand to the box. The envelope read "Hermione Granger". It was his handwriting. She would recognize it anywhere. Angry, curious and excited she opened the envelope and read, not before cursing herself for it.

_"In no way is this better than the real thing, Miss Granger. But, of course, you know this already, don't you, judging by your door being ajar tonight? Do bring it to the lab tomorrow after class. Do not be late. _

_SS"._

Her heart was beating so hard by the time she was finished she was sure it resembled a hummingbird's. This night, what she had seen, this present, his letter…all these things were too surreal to take seriously. It had to be a dream- a twisted, perverted, enthralling, erotic hallucination. Closing her eyes and pressing her head on the pillow, she reassured herself that when she actually woke up in the morning, none of this would be true and she would still be his apprentice.

But Hermione Granger never felt asleep. Her eyes were still opened when then he left for his morning classes. She heard him breathe, walk, grab books and close doors. His behaviour was all too normal for it to be real.

Turning around so as to get a few hours of sleep before noon, her eyes focused on the box lying in her night table for the first time since she had read the letter. She sighed. It was not a dream. With indignation and fear she turned around yet again to face the wall, closed her eyes and felt asleep.

* * *

It was five O'clock when Severus Snape opened the door to his private lab. He had been thinking about his reunion with Miss Granger all day and he felt energized and in high spirits. There were three main lines of thought behind this renewed optimism: firstly, the fact that she had been there that morning when he left the dungeons. He knew this because of her fakes snores and also because, secondly, she hadn't returned the present which either meant she had loved it or hadn't unwrapped it yet. He decided to believe in the former. And lastly, he had had a wonderful chat with the headmaster on the subject of Quidditch and he hadn't once mentioned abuse or molestation in between the conversation.

So, all in all, Severus Snape had reasons to believe his plan had worked and, as he opened the door to his lab, he felt more vital, younger and more handsome than he'd felt in a while.

"Good afternoon, Miss Granger," he greeted her with a small smile on his lips, his black robes billowing behind him as he walked past her and sat on his favourite chair.

"Good afternoon, Professor Snape," she replied cordially, her eyes never leaving the cauldron in which she was making a Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent, a very potent potion only sold in Knockturn Alley.

A slight smile never leaving his face, Severus Snape sat back and watched her for a while. She looked almost too timid and shy. She had obviously opened the parcel he had left. He wondered if she had read the note as well. What could she have possibly made of it? Could she think he was losing his mind? He needed to push her a little in order to get an answer. And even though he knew very little about Hermione Granger, he had never been refused an answer from her in the past.

"I see you are making extraordinary progress, Miss Granger. Well done," he said as he walked to where she was and stopped right behind her. His hips weren't touching her back this time but the small space between them felt even more uncomfortable. She was waiting for him to make a move and when he did… she would give him a piece of her mind. But, was he complementing her skills in potions? That had never _ever_ happened before. What was he playing at?

"Thank you, sir," she replied dryly, trying to show no emotions at all. Her lower lip was trembling slightly but she was sure he couldn't see it from the position in which he was standing.

"Dumbledore will be pleased. He was looking forward to giving Madame Pomfrey her own vial of Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent for her birthday. Those are quite rare and difficult to make," he whispered from behind, his breath brushing the back of her left ear in the most erotic way.

"It's nearly finished now. Would you like to tell Professor Dumbledore right away, sir?" she asked, hoping he would say yes and leave. But she would have no such luck.

"Miss Granger, I am sure it can wait," he stated, this time walking one step forward and pushing his erection against her back. He rather like the way her mouth had parted in shock.

"Professor Snape, I hardly think this is appropriate…" she started to say but was cut short when Severus interrupted.

"Did you use it last night?" he whispered into her ear, moving his hips so as to rub his erection all over her ass. A soft moan escaped her lips and he smiled, enjoying the sensation.

"No," she answered truthfully. She had wanted to lie, to tell him he disgusted her. But she couldn't. Not when a man was doing such erotic things to her body. A part of her wanted him to stop and another part- the part that remembered him fucking Penelope so roughly against the wall and wondered how that would feel- didn't.

"Very well, then," he said, breaking apart ever so slightly, "what shall we do about that?" he asked innocently.

She wanted to run away as he wrapped his right arm around her waist and pulled her to him entirely. Her back was pressed on his chest firmly and she could feel his muscles contract. Her head was under his chin and she knew that if they were to kiss, turning her head up would suffice for him to claim her mouth. So she didn't turn around or turn her head up or move at all. Instead she focused entirely on his hard shaft pressed in the middle of her bum and she shivered at the sensation. It felt very big and hard against the cloth of her robes and even though she knew she shouldn't, she wanted to touch it. Stretching her right arm over his, she tried to find a way to his pelvis but failed.

"No, no, Miss Granger. Not yet. Did you bring it?" he asked as innocently as before, his mouth pressed entirely on her ear, his warm breath sending shivers down her spine.

"Yes," she answered truthfully once again, incapable of any lies.

He smiled wickedly in triumph. His plan had worked and he felt satisfied with himself. He was no longer the grey man that had stood bored and slightly depressed in front of his bathroom's mirror two months ago anymore. Hermione Granger had captivated his sexual curiosity; she had activated his animal instincts and he loved the feeling of being a man in control of his desires. Kissing her on the back of the ear, he broke all physical contact and walked to his desk, sat on his chair and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Very well, Miss Granger," he said after a moment of silence, "take it out"

Hermione didn't hesitate. She wasn't sure why she had always felt the need to please him- perhaps the need to please all of her professors- but even in this bizarre situation, the idea of refusing seemed disrespectful. Almost running to where her bag was, she knelt on the floor and took it out, just as he had ordered. Her heart was beating fast. Why would he want to see it? Why would he enjoy the sight of her with a vibrator in her hand when she had offered to touch the real thing and he had refused? Perhaps it was some kind of twisted way to humiliate her for watching him in his privacy. She was scared but intrigued. After all, curiosity was the reason behind everything she did and Hermione knew very well that sometimes knowledge is dangerous and frightening. But that hadn't kept her off the restricted section or away from Snape's classes, had it?

So there she was, vibrator in one hand, bag in the other one, facing Severus Snape who was grinning quite mischievously.

"Sit," he requested, standing up. She hadn't expected him to move at all so when he did, she felt flat on the chair in front of his desk dropping her bag to the floor dramatically, landing exactly where he had wanted her to sit. There was an empty chair next to her and she was surprised to see him sit there. Opening his palm, he silently asked for the vibrator back. Examining as carefully as Hermione had done the night before, he turned his head to face her and asked, "Did you like my present, Miss Granger?"

"It was a strange thing to…" she started to say.

"No, Miss Granger. I made a very simple question. I asked you whether or not you had liked my present. This is a straight question that calls for a straight answer. I expected boldness from a Gryffindor such as you. I cannot say I am not disappointed," he explained handing the vibrator back and standing up to leave, "You are dismissed," he said turning his head to face her one more time. Her gaze was fixed on the floor and she was biting her lower lip- probably to prevent it from trembling. Could he have been mistaken with Hermione Granger all along? Could she be nothing more than a schoolgirl still? Did she lack the curiosity of a young woman or was she was too timid to make any advance herself? If the answers to those questions were "yes", she truly could become a disappointment. The next two years could be very dull indeed without all the sexual experimentation he had planned. But as he turned to leave, he was stopped in his tracks by Hermione Granger who was grabbing the arm of his robe tightly, her eyes still on the floor, her cheeks slightly flushed. He smirked.

Perhaps it wouldn't be dull at all.

"Yes?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"I did like it," she confessed, looking up for the first time since he had entered the room. Her eyes were teary and puffy. She hadn't obviously slept much. He liked the effect he had on her, almost as if he owned her.

"I find that very hard to believe since you failed to use it on yourself," he said maliciously, taking the seat next to her once again.

"I did like it," she repeated.

"I think we've covered that," he stated and then added looking straight into her eyes, "Yet you failed to use it even after watching us"

"Yes," she answered, turning her head to the other side, embarrassed.

"And why is that?" he enquired, intrigued.

"Because I don't know how to," she said, grabbing her vibrator firmly with one hand, her head still turned to the other side.

"It's rather simple, Miss Granger. I never thought you'd be that thick," he said, mocking her.

"I am not. I was afraid I'd hurt myself…," she explained parting her legs slightly, "down there"

"Down where?" he asked, offering his hand, "show me"

She sighed and turned her head to face him. Her stomach was in a knot as she grabbed his hand and placed it between her thighs, very far away from her pussy but closer than he'd ever been before. Her legs felt warm and she was shaking. Her breathing was irregular and he could almost hear her heart beat furiously. He dared move his hand up a bit, as he pressed his cheek against her head. She was still shocked and flushed and Severus thought that she looked lovely in her innocence. Still moving his hand up her skirt he found it warmer still but also wet. She was dripping for his touch. If there was ever a cure for a mid-life crisis, Severus reminded himself, this was surely it.

"Miss Granger, you are wet," he whispered near her ear as he finally reached her damp knickers and started caressing the fabric softly, "very wet"

"Sir, please…" she begged arching her back and letting her head fall backwards, "please…"

"Please what, Miss Granger?" he asked evilly, "Do you want me to show you how to use this little device I provided you with last night? Do you want to pleasure yourself?"

It wasn't exactly what she had in mind but anything would do at this point.

"Yes, sir. Please, teach me" she whispered in between moans as he slipped a finger through the elastic of her knickers.

"Very well," he whispered as he took his wand and muttered a spell under his breath. In only a second, Hermione found herself without robes and skirt but still clothed with her shirt, bra and knickers. Looking down she saw his hand between her legs, his finger visible through the fabric and she moaned. It was the most erotic thing she had ever seen in her life, "now, Miss Granger, with your right hand bring the vibrator near your underwear," he explained.

Seconds afterwards, the small white vibrator was rippling in her hand.

"I see you have found the way to make it vibrate. That's wonderful, Miss Granger. Now, if you please, bring it near my finger…," he said pressing his index finger on her clit which make her moan loudly and almost lose control of her hands, "and rub the tip slightly from outside your knickers" he commanded as he took his finger out of her underwear to watch her do it herself.

Just as he had expected, she obediently rubbed her clit for a few seconds before shivering in anticipation. She had been so wet that minor stimulation was enough to bring her close to orgasm. He, then, got two fingers through the elastic this time and teased her entrance. She parted her legs even wider to give him full access. She was so ready and his erection was so obviously painful it would only take him seconds to make them both cum. But it wouldn't do to fuck her now. She had to want him without the aid of this little device that, useful as it was, paled in comparison to the real thing. She, however, seemed to be having a spectacular time as Severus slide one finger in and out, then two, while she massaged her clit with the vibrator he had given her the night before.

She opened her eyes when he took them both out and put them into her mouth so she would taste herself on his fingers. She was shocked and sickened by the whole thing but accepted his offer anyway. What else was there for her to do? Bite his fingers off when she was obviously close to cumming? She sucked them hard and, to her surprise, didn't find the taste at all repelling. It was strong but it tasted of sex and it was very arousing that he would feed her own juices to her. He grinned at the sight of a very excited Hermione Granger wiping his fingers clean with her tongue.

"Now," he said parting her knickers aside so she could finally please herself with his small gift, "you will slowly insert this device into yourself. Do not worry," he whispered in her ear, then licked it, "I won't allow you to hurt yourself in any way"

Bending her head back, she teased her entrance with the tip of her vibrator and sighed. It wasn't nearly enough. Slowly Severus saw how her pussy devoured the entire toy leaving only the base out. Her mouth was opened slightly and he felt like kissing her, but decided against it. Instead he said:

"Now thrust in and out, Miss Granger. Bring yourself to orgasm. Think about what you saw last night… did you like it?" he asked rubbing her clit furiously as she fucked herself with the vibrator, "did you enjoy watching me fuck another woman?" purred in her ear, "did you like it when I pulled her hair and make her moan, Miss Granger? Were you aroused at the thought of me watching you as you climaxed? Now you have the chance to make me see it. Make yourself cum," he said caressing her tits over her shirt. Her nipples were hard and she was sweaty. Her neck tasted salty and sweet at the same time and he loved her smell. Oh, yes. He loved every single centimetre of her body and he would soon taste all of her, but not now, even if his pants were already filled with his own cum. He had ejaculated like a fifteen year old but he didn't mind at all as long as she did too.

"Yes, Severus, Oh… yes," she said through moans as she pushed the vibrator in an out. After a few thrusts, she came moaning loudly, her body shivering like a leaf, her face red, her body sweaty and all the way to her knees wet.

He kissed her neck and brushed his nose against her skin as she let the vibrator roll to the floor. Moving her free hand she caressed the top of his head, playing with his hair, not minding the grease at all.

This time, however, Hermione Granger did have a very distinctive smile on her face as she usually did after an orgasm. And even though that smile was completely for Severus Snape's benefit, she didn't mind. He deserved it after all.

* * *

**A/N: **Many thanks to my betas **Beth, Leigh and Melissa**. They are wonderful in so many ways I'd have to write a story for each one of them in order for you to truly understand what their input means to me. They put up with my bad writing and with the countless of emails I send them every week asking for revisions, sending more chapters or just quitting on the story entirely. Instead of being discouraged by this, these girls are my biggest fans and they inspire me to write more and more everyday. To you girls, this chapter, these lemons and this love story.

To you all: Thanks for your wonderful reviews! I've seen that many of you have added this story to your favourites. Why don't you drop me a line and tell me a bit about what you think? Your criticism and your words help me get through writers block, that's all I'm saying. nod, nod, wink wink.

Hope you are enjoying yourselves so far! See you next Sunday!


	4. Chapter 4

**Conquest is easy. Control is not**By Florence W. Snape

**Chapter 4: **

Severus Snape was thinking about standing up from where he had been sitting for nearly an hour to stretch. His legs ached due to bad circulation and his pants were embarrassingly wet but he was enjoying nursing Hermione Granger back to normal too much to stand up.

Since her breaths were no longer irregular, her heart beat was now normal and her shivering had ceased, he felt confident this was the appropriate time to retire to his rooms and bathe. Of course, he had to admit, he rather liked having her head on his shoulder, her back only halfway pressed on his chest but it wouldn't do to stay. It also wouldn't do to leave right away. Instead he decided to check on the potion and take his time to study her reactions like he always did.

So he stood from his chair and walked to the simmering cauldron where the Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent was boiling slowly, just to steal occasional glances at her but she didn't move at all. Even ten minutes after having left his seat next to her, Hermione's legs were opened still, her eyes closed and her lips curled in a big smile all over her face. Severus rubbed his chin. She didn't seem embarrassed at all but rather in some kind of trance.

'Yet. She doesn't feel embarrassed about what has happened YET' he thought to himself while stirring the potion calmly.

"Professor Snape…," she started to say some time later, closing her legs together and looking up at Severus who was now bottling the Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent potion Hermione had been preparing that afternoon. All of a sudden she was completely aware of where she was and why she had been smiling.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" he asked nonchalantly while examining the green phial through the little sunlight coming through the only dungeon window.

Hermione was confused. She didn't understand what had just happened. And, of course, her confusion wasn't only related to Snape's reaction after cumming or the blissful place from which she had just returned.

The whole thing seemed so bizarre she had to double check her crotch just to make sure she hadn't been daydreaming, but surely, her knickers were completely wet and the elastic was stretched due to the use of the vibrator beneath the fabric.

'And his fingers,' she thought biting her lip before answering Snape's question. His long fingers had felt amazing inside of her. Nothing like Ron's clumsy sausages; his were long and slender and they had curved deliciously inside of her, playing with her most erogenous spots, making her fantasize about him taking her against the wall exactly like he had Penelope. She had never been more willing to have sex in her life; she had wished he would end with her misery there in the middle of the Potion's lab, but he didn't. He hadn't even let her touch him and yet she had never experienced such an erotic experience in her life. Surprisingly enough, it hadn't ended in penetration- or rather _he_ hadn't penetrated her but indeed she had buried his gift as deep as it went. And she had loved it. She had loved the dirty words he had whispered near her ear, his instructions on how to move the vibrator around, his thumb in her clit and his fingers thrusting in and out. It had been surreal mainly because it hadn't been Ron or Krum but Professor Snape who had given her the best orgasm in the world. And she couldn't help but feel puzzled at her own reactions. Why had she guided his hand between her legs? Why had she felt the need to be touched by Snape? Perhaps he had slipped a lust potion in her pumpkin juice or used some kind of ancient dark magic on her- yes, surely that was the reason she had felt so eager to do it with him! It was the only possible explanation apart from her actually being attracted to him and that, she was almost sure, was certainly not it.

"Professor Snape…," she started again trying to clear her head of all thoughts. The silence between them was too embarrassing to allow her to reach any kind of logical conclusion and so she spoke again, clearing her throat, "sir…"

"Miss Granger, what is it?" he said, fed up with her odd silences already. His pants were wet and it felt odd to stand in there bottling a potion when a shower was in order.

"Nothing, sir. You can have this back now," she said, grabbing his gift from the floor, cleaning it on her blouse and handing it back to him.

Severus Snape glanced at the device for two seconds, then back at her and laughed out loud at her innocence.

"Miss Granger, I hardly think this is something I would intend to use on any other woman once it's been inside of you. You may keep it. In fact, I insist you keep it and practice a bit," he said, corking up the phial and sliding it inside his pocket, "Now please, bottle the rest of the potion, study its properties, write a full parchment on it and I expect you to clean all of this mess…" he said, walking to where she was and putting his hand under her skirt and up her knickers, then, he continued, "and _this_ mess, if you will," he finished with a slight smile curving a path through his cheeks.

With that, he was gone, leaving Hermione scarlet in the face and slightly angry at herself for not having seen earlier who Severus Snape really was.

* * *

Hermione Granger was pacing around her room that night. She was still feeling very much confused but anger had definitely taken over and it was now her main emotion. She had come to the conclusion that Professor Snape's punishment had gone overboard. It was one thing to make her rub cauldrons, re-stock rare potion ingredients and grade his papers but being played emotionally was another thing entirely. He had played with her body, with her curiosity, with her feelings. He had humiliated her, he had taken advantage of her, and he had exposed a side of her that she had revealed to no one. She had every right to be angry if she wanted to.

'That insufferable, overgrown bat...' she thought to herself, walking in circles around her four poster bed, flicking her wand to rearrange the little furniture she had in the dungeons. She looked awful. Her hair was a mess and she was biting her nails violently, not quite happy with her redecoration skills. 'How dare he …?' she started to say but decided to stop mid-sentence and continue rearranging her personal items.

She knew there was something not quite right about her line of thought. She put a lock of her own hair into her mouth and bit hard. If she had to be honest with herself, what had happened that afternoon could hardly be considered punishment.

He had been the very first man to give her an orgasm. He had aroused her completely- to the point of humiliating herself willingly- and he hadn't let her touch him. He had gained nothing from this personal revenge. Could that still be considered abuse? Hermione didn't think so.

Still, she was certain something had been broken, a line had been crossed and there was little point in dwelling on it. The reasons behind why Severus Snape had thought it appropriate to give her a vibrator were beyond her but she had enjoyed the whole experience thoroughly and that ought to be enough for now.

'It was high time I gave in to my animal instincts anyway,' she thought to herself with a tiny smile, forgetting for a second with whom she had shared that intimate moment. And then it came back to her. Severus Snape. She had to be crazy to want him but she couldn't help herself. Her mind had been caught off guard the other night when he had come to the dungeons with Penelope, but not her body. It had responded to every one of his moans on that voyeuristic escapade of hers and then that afternoon… that afternoon had been beyond her wildest dreams and her body ached for more while her mind was trying to make sense of it all.

Perhaps he was right; perhaps she did need to practice, perhaps it was futile to think about it when a little action was in order. Sitting on her bed and looking at the small white device in her night table she grabbed it and decided she would enjoy his present after all. And maybe- just maybe- give him a taste of his own medicine.

* * *

Severus Snape was sleeping on the black leader couch in front of the fireplace when Hermione Granger exited her room. She had heard him snore through the thin doors of her chambers and an idea had struck her. Two could play this game and searching through her closet frantically she, like Severus had the night before, had found what she was looking for.

She made sure to shut her door loudly enough to wake him on her way out of her bed chambers. In only seconds Severus Snape was on his feet, wand pointing ferociously at her, a look of hatred plastered on his face.

"What do you think you are doing, Miss Granger?" he asked with his wand still pointing at her, "You are not to use this room at all,"

"I am very sorry, sir," she said innocently biting her lower lip. She wasn't sorry at all, "I heard you screaming from my chambers and I wanted to make sure you were alright," she lied. He had been sleeping peacefully but not even the great Severus Snape could control his sleeping habits. He had no way of knowing if she was lying or not. He had no reason to doubt her anyway.

"I assure you I am perfectly fine, Miss Granger," he said, hiding his wand in his sleeve, "You can return to your room now"

"Of course, sir," she obediently said, her head bowed as if he were royalty. She turned around and started walking toward her door slowly, almost gliding. It was only then that Severus Snape noticed what she was wearing.

It was a black see through negligee that went all the way down to her ankles. Her bum was quite exposed and he smiled at the fact that she was wearing very little underwear.

"Miss Granger, stop right there," he suddenly said. When she turned around once again he was pleased- and shocked- to see that she wasn't wearing a bra at all. Her nipples were small and perky because of the cool dungeon air and he thought she looked ravishing in his favourite colour.

"Yes, sir?" he asked nonchalantly, an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"Miss Granger, have you written the assignment I handed you this afternoon?" he asked off the top of his head.

"I haven't finished it yet, sir. I have been rather distracted," she said cheekily, her arms crossed across her chest, just barely covering her nipples but exposing her cleavage.

"Is that so?" he asked, smiling slightly and walking slowly to where she was, "Why is that? Never once have I seen you preoccupied with anything else besides your academic goals"

"That may be true," she conceded, and then added, "what if a professor was to recommend something? Would that recommendation be considered academic even if it's not of an intellectual nature?"

"I would certainly say so," he said politely circling her like a bird of prey, "one must do whatever one's professor asks"

"Then I can honestly say that I have been focused on improving my academic performance, sir. You need not to worry" she said confidently.

"I see," he said, his voice filled with triumph, "I take it you have taken into consideration my advice, then"

"I have, sir" she honestly said opening her palm and revealing the small vibrator. He hadn't noticed it at all, "your gift has been wonderful"

He was taken aback. Who was this woman and what had happened to Hermione Granger? He had wanted her to come to him but he hadn't expected this temptress, this woman who was ready to seduce him, to take an active role in his game. He had hoped for a submissive partner, a woman so lost in desire that she ached for his touch; a weak, humiliated and broken lover he could dispose at leisure; someone who would beg to be pleased not someone who would make _him_ beg. And yet, he didn't find this new attitude repelling in the least. In time, he could make her beg and she would learn to love it.

"Was it, Miss Granger?" he asked rhetorically, not caring for her answer in the least. He ran a finger down her spine and was glad to see her shiver under his touch. She was his, "Would you like to show me?"

"Like this afternoon?" she asked hopefully.

"No. Not like this afternoon," he replied curtly, "You got help this afternoon. You said, if my memory does not fail me, that you were afraid to use my gift, that you were afraid to harm yourself with it. Now, Miss Granger, are you hurt?" he asked mischievously sitting back on the couch, his gaze never leaving her.

"I am not, sir" she answered truthfully, not moving an inch.

"Do you remember what I did to you this afternoon?" he enquired, his velvety voice arousing her.

"Yes," she whispered, her voice failing her.

"Then this would be an appropriate time to give me a demonstration," he said, smiling slightly. It was all or nothing. If she said "yes" and masturbated in front of him, she was his to break at leisure. If she said "no", she wasn't and then he would have to revaluate his whole plan.

"What would I get if I did?" she asked, intrigued. She wasn't completely sure this was the right idea but she was curious and aroused- a fatal combination. She grabbed her vibrator tighter and sat next to him.

Her question had, again, caught him off guard. What did she want, for him to have his way with her in the middle of the living room? Surely that could not be a fantasy of hers. If it was, he had underestimated Hermione Granger completely.

"What do you want?" he asked politely, staring deeply into her big brown eyes.

"I've exposed myself to you. You have seen me at my most vulnerable state. I want to see the same" she stated calmly. She wasn't asking for something too personal. Wizards masturbated all the time, after all, and she wanted to watch him stroke himself while looking at her. The idea had been haunting her since the night before when he had fucked Penelope while staring at her door. Plus, now they would be equally embarrassed. Tit for tat. Quid pro quo. It was only fair if a demonstration was what he wanted. By now she was sure Severus Snape was a naughty man and she was certain it would appeal to his perverted side- they could both cum without touching each other. Hermione Granger smirked. She was learning fast.

"You are learning fast," he said with a small grin, "alright, Miss Granger. How should we do this?" he asked, giving her the upper hand. He was surprised she had asked for such a thing but it certainly intrigued him that Hermione Granger would have such an active imagination. She didn't want to be fucked like that whore Penelope. She wanted stimulation. His Slytherin ways had done wonders to her mind. The once innocent Hermione Granger- an angel just 48 hours ago- was requesting the unthinkable from her Potions Master. He liked the way he had influenced her with very little effort. He was looking forward to tainting her completely.

Hermione rubbed her chin. Should she go first? She wasn't sure she could trust him. Moreover, she wanted to watch him do it while looking at her, exactly like she had imagined it the other night… not closing his eyes and thinking of some PlayWizard model. That was not sexy.

"We should do it at the same time. Perhaps we could find stimulation in what the other person does" she explained carefully.

"It is only fair" he said and proceeded to unbuckle his belt. He was hard already. He couldn't wait to see what she had planned.

Hermione hadn't planned on him saying "yes" so quickly so she felt a bit frightened when he started undoing his trousers.

"Oh, I'm Sorry, Miss Granger. How inappropriate of me not to offer! Do you want to do the honours?" he ironically asked after catching her staring. She whispered a "no" and stood from the sofa, blushing.

Just when Severus thought he had scared her off, he was pleasantly surprised to find her dragging one of his favourite chairs in front of him, her vibrator in between her breasts- she had nowhere else to put it. Well, except _there_ and he had to wait to see _that_.

"Well done, Miss Granger," he said slowly, his deep voice sending warm vibes all over her body.

When she turned around to sit down she was shocked to find him in his underwear. He was wearing tight green boxers that contrasted against his very pale legs divinely. He was still wearing his black socks, which was a bit of a turn off but she decided she didn't mind. She wasn't planning on focusing very much in the feet area anyway.

Severus Snape smiled at her reaction. She was definitely staring at the bulge in his underwear. He wanted to say something to embarrass her but decided on the contrary this time. It had been quite some time since any decent woman had taken the time to take a good look at him. He was glad to see she wasn't disgusted with his middle aged body but curious. He liked that quality about her. He could teach her many things apart from Potions.

Delicately he rubbed her knee and watched as she gasped. The idea was not to touch the other but he wanted to help her out of her underwear. It would take ages if he had to wait for her initiative. Caressing the hem of her black knickers, he introduced a finger in each side and slipped them down her thighs, her knees, her calves and all the way to the floor.

Hermione blushed. She was feeling overexposed but content that the hardness in his underwear had to do with her. Standing up so that his face was near her bush, she then went on her knees and timidly grabbed his erection. They weren't supposed to touch but since he had helped her off her knickers she could only do the same. In one swift motion Severus Snape's hard cock was out and Hermione ached to touch, to taste, to learn like she had never before… but she was afraid he'd reject her again like he had this afternoon. And, after all, what kind of message would that send? They had logically and maturely agreed on something and it wouldn't do to break a promise though she was almost sure he wouldn't mind. She knew she didn't.

"Well, Miss Granger…?" he asked rubbing the tip of his dick a bit, spreading his pre-cum. Hermione opened her mouth in shock but closed it quickly. It wouldn't do to behave like an impressionable student- though that was what she was- when she had been the one to suggest such a naughty activity in the first place.

Sitting back in front of him with her legs wide opened and her feet resting on his couch, Hermione Granger took the vibrator out of her breasts and timidly started rubbing it on her clit like he had taught her earlier.

"Very good, Hermione" he said while stroking his hard shaft slowly, using her name for the first time.

"Oh, Professor…" she said through moans. Her name in his lips was something very erotic. Coincidentally the sight of Hermione Granger's glistening pussy- she was so wet!- and the mention of his title sent him over the edge and he had to sit back and think of Neville Longbottom, melted cauldrons, Harry Potter and England just to control his ejaculation. But he did. This wasn't his first time. He was a middle aged man not some hormonal teenage boy trying to get inside of her. He knew that the brain was the sexiest organ and that stimulation of the mind was equally important. And an image of Hermione Granger with his gift inside of her was enough stimulation to last him for months if she decided never to speak to him again after tonight.

Hermione moaned at the sight of Professor Snape's violent strokes. His cock was red, wet and hard and she desperately wanted it inside her. She had thought it impossible to want a man more than she had wanted him that afternoon but she had been wrong. She was much more aroused now that she could see him bite his lips, caress his sack and stroke his dick while looking at her. She penetrated herself with his vibrator and moaned louder and louder. With the techniques she had learnt that afternoon it wouldn't take her long to cum. She hoped he did too and soon. She wanted to see a man cumming for herself. She had seen pictures in books and Ron had cum inside of her but she had never seen a grown man ejaculate in front of her before. She was rather intrigued.

"Hermione" he whispered trying to get her attention, "could you please expose your breasts?" he cordially asked still stroking but easing the pace, as if waiting for her to do as asked before resuming the vicious stroking. Hermione blushed but decided to follow his orders anyway and without taking her negligee off, she slid the spaghetti straps off her shoulders to reveal average size breasts and small rosy nipples. She tried to cover herself up with one hand but the sight of her wet fingers all over her nipples was even more erotic for him. He was almost there but it wouldn't do to climax before her.

"Use your fingers. Place the vibrator on your clit" he ordered and he was glad to see it took her seconds to climax.

She was gasping for air, eyes closed and shivering still when he stood up. It wouldn't do to frighten her and climax on her face. It would be risky to do it on her tits. So he decided to be safe.

"Open your hands, Miss Granger," he requested standing so near her, his enlarged shaft was just centimetres away from her deliciously opened mouth. She opened her eyes at once, stretched her arm and offered him her palm.

One. Two. Three. Four. That was all it took for him to spread his seed on Hermione Granger's right hand. The tip of his cock was resting on her innocent looking palm and he was shocked to watch her milk his shaft with her other hand until there was nothing left. When he was done, he caressed her curls as she played with his semen, an expression of disgust and incredulity on her face. It wasn't as white as she had imagined and it was sticky and gross. But she had found it extremely stimulating to watch him get off on her palm like that.

"_Scrougify_" he said pointing his wand at her palm.

"Thanks for that, Professor Snape," she said knowing perfectly well what the mention of his title had done to him in ecstasy, "How did I do?" she asked not so innocently this time.

"You did well, Miss Granger. You got an A as in "Acceptable". Perhaps you could do without my little gift next time I test you. Would you be up to that?" he asked putting his boxers back on.

"What do you mean, sir?" she asked, not completely sure of the meaning behind his words.

"My little voyeur," he said patting her head like muggles usually do to dogs, "have you already forgotten your eagerness to touch me this afternoon?"

"No," she timidly answered, trying not to think about the embarrassing things she did when aroused, "I haven't"

"Next time, I might even let you try…" he said walking to his bedroom chambers. Before closing the door behind him he added, "PRACTICE!"

And with that Hermione Granger was left alone, again. This time too tired to think about what Severus Snape's last words meant.

* * *

**A/N:** Many thanks to my amazing betas**, Melissa, Leigh and Beth**, who have done a wonderful job again. Please let me know what you think. Your reviews keep me going! 


	5. Chapter 5

**Conquest is Easy. Control is not.** By Florence Weasley Snape

**Chapter 5: **

He knew it had all been a dream as soon as he opened his eyes in shock. But that, he thought angrily, didn't make it any better; his head ached and his beady black eyes were painfully burning even though there was little light in the room. And, of course, there was the dream- or rather the memory of the dream- which was, by far, the worst of the three. Surely, and he had to be honest because, really, there is no point in beating around the bush when you are talking to yourself after a terrible nightmare, he knew normal wizards would hardly consider his recent dream as some sort of medieval torture but he wasn't a normal wizard and- he shook his head in disgust- he definitely did.

'What a wonderful way to start the day,' he whispered sarcastically as he massaged his temples slightly with his index fingers. He took several deep breaths before sitting up in his bed. His head and back were now resting softly on the cool dungeon wall which was definitely an improvement from the hot sheets which he seemed to have been wrestling with all night long, judging by the mess he had made.

He didn't want to go through the dream in his head again but, as one often does when woken suddenly, his mind lazily went back to where it all had started as if trying to make sense of some kind of incomplete puzzle. Surprisingly, he remembered very little of a dream that had terrified him so much.

What he did recall, though, was rocking a child in his arms who magnificently resembled himself as a newborn. He remembered being happy and pleased for making the child fall asleep in his arms and feeling a wonderful sensation he couldn't quite describe in his heart- warmth?– when he placed the baby in a crib he recognized as his own. But then the baby had started crying and no matter how much he had tried, he had been incapable of making him stop. As he had rocked the sobbing toddler in his arms for the second time, he had sensed a sharp sting in his heart that grew stronger as the child's bawls grew louder. It was like nothing he had felt before and it didn't make him scream in pain but rather weep silently in resignation and impotence.

And then, he had woken up sweaty and nearly suffocated by his own sheets.

Unquestionably, he thought bitterly, normal nightmares had to involve the Dark Lord casting Unforgivables at some point and not a crying child, right? That was the kind of dream that would wake up Arthur Weasley from a good night's sleep not Severus Snape. No, worse, a sobbing child was the kind of nightmare Molly Weasley, and Molly Weasley alone could have because even though he was certain that Arthur Weasley was insane, he seemed like the kind of man who knew when to shrug off a meaningless dream. No. It wasn't an Arthur Weasley but a Molly Weasley kind of bad dream and the thought of sharing something of such a personal nature with that matron made him shudder. He was many things but certainly none of them had anything to do with Molly Weasley.

Severus kept massaging his temples, frowning. The dream had been scary enough but the anxiety he had felt when he opened his eyes had been even scarier. The more he thought about it, the more confused he was. What could possibly be so frightening about a crying baby anyway? He wasn't sure, but he knew that somehow it was related to what he had felt that morning before _she_ had entered his life.

He shook his head angrily. He was going insane. Hermione Granger's initiative had obviously taken him by surprise and as a result his dreams had been a little bizarre, but nothing more. After all, it was just a dream. And, surely, dreams were nothing to worry about.

As he stood up from his bed determined to take a shower, he decided to erase from his mind all further thoughts on the subject. His neck was stiff anyway and he could use with the hot water.

He walked to the bathroom, opened the door, then closed it behind him slightly- he didn't want to wake her- and was shocked to see his own reflection in the mirror. What was so shocking about seeing his naked body in the mirror before his morning shower? He had woken up to this image for as long as he could remember but never before had he felt such a strong pain in his heart. Grabbing the skin where his heart was, he pressed his cheek against the mirror and examined his features slightly. He was old and he hated it. His little affair with Hermione Granger had done him no good. It had just prolonged the inevitable conclusion: he was damaged goods. He would probably never be able to father a child or rock him to sleep or feel the inevitable pain that comes with the impotence of seeing your child in distress. He had never been a sensitive man but if he had to be honest with himself- if only this one time- he had known perfectly well what that dream had meant but had been too terrified to come to terms with himself.

Looking into his eyes- puffy still- he decided it was of no use thinking about it now and stepped into the shower where the hot water massaged his skin and cleared his head of all troubles.

* * *

Hermione Granger had to face facts and accept that ever since she had begun her apprenticeship to Professor Snape there hadn't been many things to look forward to. And she wasn't just having bitter thoughts, it was simply the truth. So when Professor Dumbledore gave her written permission for a certain part of the Hogwarts library, she smiled confidently knowing perfectly well that now her days would change entirely. She had a place of her own that was nothing like that tiny and oppressive dungeon bedroom in which she had to spend most of her free time. Now she could now enjoy the one hour time window she had in the company of the authors she had longed to read during most of her school life. Oh, yes, the Restricted Section of the library was just heaven away from the dungeons- away from _him_- and considering the last words she had heard from his mouth, she needed this place more than she had originally thought.

Hermione loved running her fingers through the many books she now had access to. She didn't have any reasons to feel naughty anymore; she had earned the right to be there and she couldn't help but smile at her small conquest.

"The first of many," she said happily as she caught sight of _Most Potente Potions_, the book she and the boys had nicked during their second year in the hopes of finding who the Heir of Slytherin was. She sighed. She missed the time when things were simpler and she needn't worry about Professor Snape's breath near her ear because the worst Snape could do was give her a detention with Filch. She smiled. Second-year Hermione would be appalled at the idea but she- in her present self- would gladly trade one hour of scrubbing cauldrons without magic under Filch's watchful eye to an hour of mind manipulation and incontrollable arousal from Professor Snape.

Someone was definitely walking to where she was, but Hermione had no way of knowing this. So lost was she in the memories of the past that she failed to hear a very distinctive set of footsteps.

"Miss Granger," he said, surprised to run into her by chance, "What on earth are you doing here? Hogwarts students are forbidden to…" he started to say and then, realizing all too late that she was no longer a student, he smirked and proceeded to visually searched for the book he was looking for in the shelves behind her. The last person he had wanted to meet was Hermione Granger. This was a very bad day indeed.

"Professor Dumbledore gave me permission," she said with triumph, a big grin plastered on her face. Hermione was so proud of her little achievement and so busy showing it off to the one person that had never acknowledged her intelligence that she forgot just for a few seconds what had happened the night before. And then, all of a sudden, it came back to her and she blushed.

She still couldn't believe it. If proof that he had slipped some kind of Lust Potion in her pumpkin juice were ever needed she was sure that the initiative she had shown the night before would suffice as evidence in any Ministerial trial. And yet, she couldn't help but smile. The potion was surely working wonderfully because she had ached to touch and taste his cock so much that if he had shown any kind of interest in fucking her, she would have accepted gladly. But, surprisingly, he hadn't, nor was he showing any kind of interest now.

"I see," he said, this time running his fingers through the books just as Hermione had done minutes before. He seemed a little bit nervous which was very out of character, "I don't want you to entertain the idea that I am here for your sake. I am just looking for _Most Potente Potions_," he said, then after a quick pause, he added, "I am sure you have heard of the title before…," he said grinning slightly at this.

Hermione was snapped out of her thoughts by that last remark. Could he know that she had been the one to brew the polyjuice potion back in her second year? Of course he did. Surely Dumbledore, who always knew everything, had let it slip somehow. Still, could he retroactively give her detention? She didn't think so. She decided to play dumb anyway.

"Here it is," she said, taking the book from the shelves and handing it to him with a shrug, "Was this the one you needed?"

Severus smiled faintly. He hadn't really planned on bumping on her but he had to thank Merlin for the irony. What could be better than fucking Hermione Granger, famous for her bookworm inclinations, in the middle of the Restricted Section? He was almost sure that one was unbeatable.

"I thank you, Miss Granger," he said taking the book from her arms.

"It's nothing, really, Professor," she said blushing slightly and looking down at her feet. 'What is wrong with me?,' she thought in panic. But there was nothing wrong with her. What she had felt the night before was like nothing she had ever experienced. It had been arousing, sensual and extremely naughty. It was completely normal to feel strange about having a formal conversation as Master/Apprentice in the middle the library with Professor Snape when just hours ago they had masturbated in front of the other. She had even examined his semen, for crying out loud! That last memory made her blush even more. She couldn't be trusted when aroused; she wasn't herself, really.

"What's the matter, Miss Granger?" he asked, caressing her jaw with his index finger, "are you blushing?"

Severus Snape felt like himself again. Standing in front of Hermione Granger, last night's dream was just that- a dream- and he feared no more. Of course, as he brushed his finger on her cheek, Severus was not conscious of the fact but he did feel lighter when touching her skin, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He could now breathe better. And breathing better- and thinking better- meant only one thing: Hermione was still fair game and, according to her flushed face, his plan was working too smoothly to back up now.

"No, Professor Snape," she answered quickly, looking up at him with a confidence she did not have, "Not at all. It's rather hot in the library, that's all"

"Is it now?" he asked putting _Most Potente Potions_ on the shelf again- he would come for it later-, "Have you been practicing?" he whispered into her ear, bending forward.

"Yes," she answered truthfully. She had. She had gone over some books on the subject of fellatio that very morning while stirring a potion he had asked her to brew and she had tried different techniques on his gift earlier after lunch. Still, Hermione was positive that Severus' penis didn't taste like plastic at all.

"Very good," he said softly, grabbing her waist and pulling her to him. He wasn't about to kiss her anytime soon- she had to ask for it- but he wanted to make her shiver in anticipation, he wanted to see her close her eyes at his breath near her mouth and then open them shockingly when he failed to deliver the kiss. That was the kind of man Severus Snape was- cold and manipulative to the bone. He was enjoying this so!

Hermione closed her eyes. He was about to kiss her. She could just feel his breath near her mouth, anticipating the kiss. She really had wanted to know what his dick tasted like but that had been nothing compared to the anxiety she was feeling now, centimetres away from his lips.

But he didn't kiss her. Instead he put his thumb inside her mouth and he was glad to see her suck it at once, guided by some kind of sex reflex. It was almost time to harvest the grains he had been seeding for the last couple of weeks. He knew he was close; it wouldn't take long before she begged him to fuck her but timing was crucial. She was close, but not quite there. He wouldn't have her there, in the middle of the Restricted Section, even though the idea appealed to him immensely. Giving in at the wrong time could be fatal to his plans. He needed to be in control at all times. He would have her in the library some day, but not just yet. Of course, and Severus knew this very well, penetration wasn't the only fun thing they could do together.

Students potentially walking in on them were not an issue; Severus knew that pupils rarely found themselves in the library this early in the year and definitely none of them would go as far as to wander around the Restricted Section in the middle of the afternoon. Professors were fair game but the chances of being discovered were slim and he liked the rush anyway.

"Very good, indeed," he said when she timidly placed one finger on his belt, "Show me," he ordered.

And she did. Hermione knelt in the cold stone floor of the library, against rational thoughts that urged her to do just the opposite, and shyly undid his belt and unzipped his pants until they were loose around his ankles and she was face to face with his concealed erection.

"Your underwear is in the way," she said seductively but she knew as soon as those words escaped her lips that her remark had been lame and that he wouldn't find it sexy- or adorable- in the least. Sure enough, he muttered something under his breath in exasperation and guided her hand to his erection. She didn't magically remove his grey boxers but, without beating around the bush, took his erection out and started stroking it gently, though clumsily. She pulled his foreskin back and caressed the head of his shaft with her index finger first, looking up at him the whole time: his reactions were the key.

'His penis isn't as big now as it was last night,' she thought disappointedly as she stroked harder. She must really suck at this (metaphorically, at least) and she felt somewhat disillusioned: it was the first time in her life that she had been unable to properly applied something learnt in a book on a real life situation.

Severus looked down at her and caressed the top of her head softly. He hated those curls. He smirked. Her techniques were awful. She was pulling too hard and there wasn't enough stimulation in the world- not even the kink of, perhaps, getting caught in the library by Dumbledore himself- that would make up for her lack of natural lubricant. She also looked somewhat disappointed at the length of his cock. Surely, a girl- a woman- of such an age must know how a wizard's body worked.

"It will grow bigger in your mouth," he suddenly said as he removed her hands from his cock, "Please, refrain from using your hands at first. Lick it," he ordered. His voice was silk in her ears and his orders reminded her of the old Professor Snape, the one that had only given her a hard time during Potions, and she quite liked that. It appealed to her kinky side, even though until recently she could have sworn she had none.

She looked at him and at what he was offering and reached forward to kiss it timidly. With a tone that took her back to her 6th year Potions classes- and she loved it-, he said:

"The most sensitive part is the head and right at the back below the head. I want you to take it in your mouth and slide along it. Now"

And so she did. She put her lips around his shaft, getting it very wet with her saliva and then slowly glided down as far as she could go- which, granted, wasn't very far, but Severus thought that would definitely improve with time- and then came back up to the head. Using her tongue and lips, she pushed the skin off of the head and heard him moan slightly. Somehow the idea of pleasuring him- of knowing how to pleasure him- felt right. He definitely felt bigger in her mouth, she reckoned as her tongue circled the head, and that was certainly an improvement from her previously inept stroking.

He was now moaning louder and Hermione suddenly realized, though all too late, the risky situation in which they were in: What would Dumbledore- or Professor McGonagall- say if they found them engaged in such an obscene act? That line of thinking, however, got interrupted when his right hand started pulling her head forward with violence. Hermione felt his dick touch the end of her throat and was immediately inclined to gag. Severus Snape stopped dead on his tracks. Even though Hermione Granger gagging on his cock was unquestionably a turn on, it wouldn't do to scare her off and ruin everything. He was in control, he had to be.

So, against all rational thought on the contrary, he stopped and allowed her to breathe.

"I apologize, Miss Granger," he said caressing her curls softly. He wanted to make this conversation as short as possible; his erection was pounding, "Are you hurt?"

"No," she whispered softly, one hand on her throat, another one on his knees. It had felt weird, it had hurt a bit, it had made her nauseous and it had scared her to choke like that in the middle of fellatio, but she didn't want to stop. The adrenaline that had rushed through her veins when his dick had nearly obstructed her throat and the amount of her saliva that was now covering his cock made her completely wet.

"Perhaps we should resume this on a different occasion," he said formally, very unlike a man who had his penis out in the middle of the school's library. He was disappointed at himself for his own foolishness. He had let himself go. Control was important and he had lost it. His cock ached and he felt the immediate need for release but it wouldn't do to rape her mouth. He had frightened her enough. He wondered how many steps backwards those insignificant seconds of unrestrained pleasure would take him. He was an old fool and he was sure of it. So sure, in fact, that when Hermione Granger started stroking his cock gently again, slowly licking it up and down- not daring to shove it down her mouth yet- a look of shock took over his face. A look that was soon replaced by a small smile; he could now be sure. He was definitely breaking her.

She couldn't believe how hard and big he could get because of what she was doing; because of her. She felt almost proud of her accomplishment. Of course, his directions and his movements had made it a lot easier, but she felt wonderful nonetheless: she was still a star pupil. When she took him in her mouth again, she was not at all surprised that it hardly fitted in her mouth anymore- she had a relatively small mouth and he had a relatively big dick, so the math was pretty simple. She was afraid of hurting him with her teeth, so she gave her mouth a break now and then so as to not get tired.

"Suck on my balls, now," he ordered some minutes later, getting bored of her "stroking and licking" routine. She did exactly as ordered, completely turned on by his directions. She went down to his sack, licked it and gently sucked the skin into her mouth. She could feel the hardness of his balls as his cock rested on her forehead. He moaned deeply as she took one testicle on her mouth, like she had seen in that book earlier that morning. She felt so naughty. This was the kind of behaviour one would expect from a whore not from a Potions apprentice! But she certainly looked like he was enjoying himself. Deciding he had had enough, she nibbled and kissed up the side of his shaft along one large vein until she found herself licking the head of his cock again.

That last bit had taken him over the edge. Looking down at her while she sucked on him, he couldn't quite comprehend how a woman could look innocent and completely perverted at the same time. Deciding that the latter was completely of his doing, he let himself go and started pounding into her mouth violently. He was going to climax on her mouth.

Hermione knew this and wasn't repelled in the least. In fact, she had been somewhat disappointed that he hadn't let her swallow it the night before. Now she would have her chance.

But Severus wasn't completely sure that was a good idea. Controlling himself once again, he took his glistening dick out of her mouth and started stroking it furiously as he bend his head backwards.

Hermione stretched her hand instinctively, but he didn't take it. Instead, amazed at how sensual her offer was, he came on her left cheek and on her closed lips panting furiously and muttering something under his breath that she couldn't quite catch.

His cardiac rhythm was very strong- too strong for a wizard his age, he reckoned- and his breathing was still irregular when he opened his eyes and found Hermione on her feet, cleaning his seed off of her face. He pulled his pants up and continued to stare at her. She didn't look sickened or upset but, rather curious and intrigued at the sticky texture of the substance on her palms.

She was actually wondering whether it would be prudent to let her tongue lick the remains away from her lips. She wanted to. Most importantly, she knew he wanted her to. Hermione didn't know exactly why his wishes during these sexual acts always seemed more important than hers, but this was hardly the time for rational thought. Opening her lips slightly, her tongue tasted her left corner first and then it continued to explore the rest of the mouth until there was nothing left. He didn't taste exactly like chocolate frogs, but she hadn't expected him to. A very strong sense of accomplishment took over her as she realized that she, in all of her ignorance, had made Professor Snape cum on her face. That was definitely worth some points for Gryffindor.

Looking up at Severus again, she caught him staring blankly at her and something in the middle of her stomach ached for the first time since she had decided to play along with this interesting game he had silently proposed. It was a very strong pain, so much so that she placed a hand on it hoping the contact would make it go away. But it didn't. It actually grew stronger as his face grew nearer; was he actually going to kiss her this time?

Hermione's assumption had been correct. Watching her lick a part of him off her lips had been an incredibly arousing image. So when she looked up at him, like she usually did when he explained a complicated procedure doing Potions, he couldn't quite resist the urge to taste himself on her lips.

Bending forward, he grabbed her jaw softly and kissed her. And when their lips met, Hermione understood for the first time that whatever it was they were doing, it was certainly not a game.

* * *

**A/N:** So, what do you guys think of chapter 5? Can you see a plot behind all the lemons? Because I swear there is one. Please review!! It'll make my day.

Melissa, Beth and Leigh ought to be thanked for making this chapter worth a read. takes a bow

See you next week!


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: I usually write this at the end of the story but I thought a change was in order. Muchos smooches to **Beth, Leigh and Mellisa** who have beta read this chapter. _

_I am sorry it took this long to update, but I am hoping the lemons will make up for it. _

_About the story, what do you mean when you say "Who needs a plot"? hehe. It makes it sound like it's all about the lemons and, let's face it, it's A LOT about the lemons but I want to build the foundations in which the characters can then grow psychologically. I mean, why do people like SS/HG stories anyway? Mainly because of the kinkiness of it all: a young inexperienced schoolgirl reaches out to a lonely man and they both learn a little bit about the things they are lacking: she learns to be a woman and he learns how to love. In my story, SEX is another character, is ever-present, is the reason they are drawn together. SEX is the plot! This is, above all things, a romantic story... Do remember the title: Conquest is Easy, Control Is Not. What do you think it means? Sex is the easy part… sighs isn't it always? _

**Conquest is easy. Control is not.**By Florence W. Snape

**Chapter 6:**

Her lips were still trembling when they broke apart. Their kiss had been brief but intense and his kindness had definitely taken her by surprise. Not that she had thought a lot about what his kisses would be like, of course. She had contemplated the idea a considerable but still sensible amount, Hermione thought as she cleaned her lips with the sleeve of her robe, because she was nothing if not sensible. It was fair to say, though, that she hadn't been showing many signs of rational behaviour lately. Fellatio in the Restricted Section of the library was certainly not something a level-headed person would try and that much, at least, she knew. Still she couldn't help but think about him.

However, during the many times she had let her mind drift to the chance of a kiss, not once had the prospect of a gentle one crossed her mind. She had always daydreamed of parted lips and tongues wrestling passionately, of irregular breathing and of being pressed hard against a cold wall in the dungeon's corridor or against the cold tiles in his shower or against the cold stone floor in his bedroom or against the cold marble of the stairs in the Entrance Hall or against the cold glass in the green houses or against the cold bark of a tree in the Forbidden Forrest (and of being fondled on many other cold surfaces, to be honest), but never of a kiss so subtle, soft and delicate it would probably make Lavender Brown write sonnets.

Though not disappointing, it was still quite shocking. She hadn't expected it. He had always touched her with such need and his eyes had always twinkled with so much lust and desire when aroused that a tender kiss had never been in Hermione's plans. His mouth had covered hers and she had parted her lips in response, but his tongue never got inside her mouth. Instead he had kissed and licked his way around her mouth, making sure to taste himself all over her until there was nothing left.

As soon as it had started, however, it was over. But he didn't look angry or dissatisfied or frustrated like he usually did when they broke apart. He was looking down at her with a confused expression in his eyes, as though he had read an unbelievable article in _The Quibbler_. He was frowning, too, but she could tell he wasn't about to yell at her so she smiled slightly and stared down at her feet again.

Her knickers were so wet, though, it was painful. It burned. The kiss, though very un-Spanish, had done nothing to put out the fire inside of her. The stern look on his face was doing just the trick, though. Was he about to tell her off for doing something wrong? Nothing would traumatise her more than being told she sucked at sex (again, not quite metaphorically).

"I am very sorry about that, Miss Granger," he said caressing her cheek tenderly, the confused frown still on his face as he examined her.

"Why would you be sorry?" she asked out loud, though she had meant it as a private thought.

"I shouldn't have done that," he whispered caressing a couple of rebellious curls that were framing her face, "I have no idea what took over me,"

He was talking and he was definitely mumbling something that to the untrained ear would sound like an explanation but Hermione was quite sure he wasn't talking to her, not really. He was still looking at her with that weird expression, not even blinking, as if in the middle of a very severe trance. Even though he was talking, Hermione thought still looking up, he didn't seem aware of the fact. The way he kept caressing her cheek and playing with her hair made her shudder. Passionate Snape she could handle- or so she thought- but this… this she wasn't very sure.

So she was surprised at her own frustration when Severus shook his head from side to side, as if regaining control of his own mind, and stopped with his ministrations at once.

"Continue with whatever you were doing," he barked as he grabbed _Most Potente Potions_ back from the shelves Checking his robes for the last time- he didn't want to be laughed at by Gryffindor first-years- he walked away from the library, away from her, and away from whatever he had felt during those minutes in which he had kissed her gently.

If she had to be honest with herself- and Hermione, unlike Severus, almost always was- she was rather upset. The way he had left after playing with her hair, just like that after giving him a blowjob in the library, hurt her feelings. Of course, until that kiss she had thought that "feelings", "Snape" and "this stupid game" were words that didn't go together well- other words that didn't usually go with Severus' last name were: "shampoo", "fun", "feelings", "easy-going" and "birthday presents". She smiled at this. When she was still in school, she had listed all of the things that would make Professor Snape frown. It seemed a lifetime ago, Hermione thought bitterly, that she had laughed while Ron read the list out loud. She wasn't sure she would laugh now. Back in those days, Snape was not a person but a caricature and it seemed almost a waste not to make fun of him. More and more everyday, it seemed to Hermione, Severus Snape was starting to look like a human being, like a man, and although she liked the idea when on her knees, she wasn't sure kissing was the way to go for them. Shaking her head from side to side exactly like Severus had done before, she exorcised her head from all thoughts on the subjects and continued running her fingers over the tomes, smiling slightly at the empty space were _Most Potente Potions_ had been.

* * *

As Hermione made her way back to the dungeons half an hour later, wondering out loud why he hadn't wished to fuck her yet when she had expressly agreed to do anything he wanted, the voice of Professor McGonagall interrupted her: 

"Miss Granger," she shouted, quickly walking to where she was, "Wait right there!"

Hermione turned around. She loved Professor McGonagall, but if it was ever the time to reach her chambers quickly, this was definitely it. She could smell Severus' musk on her robes; she had "SEX" written all over her. Trying to look as coolly as she usually did when talking to a professor as 1,000 unwanted thoughts flooded her head- "so what if I decide to have sex at Hogwarts anyway? It's not as if all of her Gryffindor students are virgins,"- she smiled at the Transfigurations Master when she finally reached her.

"Miss Granger," said Minerva, "I had been shouting your name for minutes before you turned around,"

"I am sorry, Professor," she said apologetically, "I must have been thinking of something else,"

She chuckled at this. Professor McGonagall looked down at her curiously, as if trying to decipher why her perfect star pupil would have messy hair and such dirty robes. After a few moments of terrible silence in which Hermione had struggle with herself to find the courage to ask the woman what she wanted, Professor McGonagall finally said, very sure of herself, as if the conclusion was irrefutable: "Severus is overworking you,"

"He is," Hermione answered timidly, and then added, "What can I help you with, Professor?"

"Oh, thank you for reminding me, Miss Granger," she said taking a tiny book from her left pocket and handing it to her, "Severus looked rather," she paused looking for the suitable word, "_distracted _when he came into the staff room earlier. By the look on his face I am most sure that he meant to have a word with Dumbledore regarding his Slytherin first-years. In any case, he left this book behind,"

Hermione looked at the tiny book resting on her palm. It read, in very small golden letters_, "Most Potente Potions"._ Surely Professor McGonagall had charmed it to a smaller size so she wouldn't hurt her back carrying such a heavy tome. She smiled weakly. Why would he forget the very same book he had been so keen on finding earlier in the first place?

"I was just about to return it when I saw you down the corridor. I am certain you will make sure he gets it," she said confidently, sniffing Hermione and stepping back. "You smell just like Severus," she said very matter-of-factly. Hermione's heart jump at once, "You should really change your clothes from the ones in which you prepare your experimental potions. What is it that you are creating now?"

Hermione smiled. She really was clueless, bless her heart. Perhaps Professor McGonagall, very much like herself when she had first arrived earlier in the summer, must surely think of Snape as asexual. Or worse, maybe she thought of her in those terms! Whatever it was, it had worked because she had confused the very distinctive smell of bodily fluids with an experimental potion with no name.

"It's a secret," she said winking while putting the very light book into one of the pockets of her smelly robes. Her former Head of House smiled, very much in the same way Severus usually did, and said her goodbyes.

Hermione felt hopeful and happy all of a sudden. She now had an excuse to talk to Severus and, perhaps, she would be able to find out why he'd been so distracted. She wondered if it had anything to do with the kiss they had shared. He had certainly looked distracted afterwards… but it was flattering herself too much. She could make him cum- she was still proud about that one!- but it took a lot more than a kiss and a blowjob in the library to get into Severus' mind like that. Or at least she thought so.

She couldn't wait to find out, though. So when Hermione finally opened the door of the dungeons with the book on her left hand, she was heartbroken to find that he was not there.

* * *

When Severus closed the door to his private rooms later that night he felt somewhat grateful to the stars. It was indeed a miracle that Hermione Granger hadn't been waiting for him in the living room to have a word with him on fleeing the library after their kiss and for that he was thankful. 

He pressed his back on the wooden door and sighed. He wasn't sure what had made him flee either, and even though he had his suspicions, he was in no way prepared to give Hermione Granger any kind of explanations- not that he owe her any. He had been a fool and that was all there was to know. The way in which she had reacted after making him climax had been very arousing, and he just hadn't been able to resist the temptation of kissing her. But, what _did_ make him kiss her in such a tender way? He had always planed to finally give in and kiss her in the midst of passion, pressing his erection hard on her belly, bruising her arms with his fingers, her lips swelled because of the pressure but somehow- Severus couldn't quite explain why- he had ended up doing the exact opposite. Worst of all, he had come off looking confused, paranoid and weak, three qualities that were rarely used when describing someone who was in control.

He sighed yet again, deeper this time.

"What's done is done," he said while taking his cloak off and neatly folding it before placing it on one of his leather chairs. Severus Snape wasn't the kind of man to use those words carelessly. He was, very much like Hermione, the kind of person who sits and ponders on a possible solution until there is nothing left to think about. There is no "leaving it to fate" for rationalists like them, even if this usually means spending days staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep.

So uttering those words was, by no means, easy for him. It meant that there was nothing to think about, that there was no solution, that he had done a very unwise thing and that thinking about it could only make it worse. How much worse the situation could get, Severus did not know. He just wanted to push those thoughts aside, throw himself onto his bed and fall asleep.

So a few minutes later, after brushing his teeth and erasing all thoughts from his head on the matter, he climbed into bed but was shocked to hear someone moan in pain.

"OOOWW," Hermione cried as Severus sat on her stomach. Severus jumped from his bed at once and without thinking about it twice he took his wand out from his sleeve and pointed it towards the intruder who seemed to be grabbing their stomach rather painfully.

"_Lumos_," he said and a small beam of light shinning brightly from the tip of his wand appeared immediately. Grabbing her ribs was a young woman, not more than 20 years old, with bushy hair and dirty black school robes. Severus' sharp sense of smell should have recognised a strange odour but Hermione Granger's robes smelled exactly like him, since neither one of them had showered after their encounter in the Restricted Section.

"Miss Granger, _what_ do you think you are doing here? I could have hexed you to death," he shouted, "Get OUT!"

But Hermione didn't move. She just kept massaging the place where Severus had sat, casting an angry glance at him.

"_I_ just wanted to return _this_ to _you_," she said, narrowing her eyes at him and placing the little book on the bed, "Professor McGonagall said you forgot it in the staff room,"

"GET OUT!," he yelled pointing his wand at her still, "and leave the book,"

Hermione stood up and held her head high. She knew it had been a bad idea to wait for him in his chambers. She had known it then, but curiosity had overpowered her logic. She had just wanted to smell his sheets, feel his mattress and take a look around. But then she had made the terrible mistake of falling asleep with her dirty robes on his bed and had woken up with his wand pointed at her nose. She should have known better than to think Severus Snape would appreciate her concern, understand her curiosity or even comprehend the circumstances that had lead her to fall asleep in his bed- after all, she had been exhausted because of _his_ homework, because of _his_ needs, because of _his_ presence.

Hermione left the small book on his night table- just over his copy of _Asiatic Anti Venoms_- and turned around to leave the room but instead, said:

"Professor McGonagall seemed to think you look rather," she paused, "…what were her words exactly? Oh yes, "distracted". So I wonder," she said, taking one step forward so that she was just under his chin, "what could possibly trouble you enough to make you forget a book I know for a fact you needed, right under Professor McGonagall's watchful eye?"

Severus frowned. He had completely forgotten about the book. He had been so busy thinking of a safe place to hide that the need for _Most Potente Potions_ had evaporated.

"That's none of your business, Miss Granger. Now, GET OUT of my room or I shall be forced to rip your contract into pieces," he said, staring down at her in anger. He had made a fool of himself, now he was sure of it, and he needn't Hermione Granger to remind him of it. No, whatever had taken over him in the Restricted Section was gone now and he wanted nothing more than to get away from her forever.

And then something remarkable happened. Hermione Granger unbuttoned the first button of her robes and let them slither through her shoulders. She, then, went on her knees and started unbuckling his belt and unzipping his black trousers with great proficiency. She knew her way around now after doing the exact same thing earlier in the Restricted Section and she wasn't afraid of showing him.

Severus was awestruck by the way in which she had managed to take his pants off. He was now in his underwear and his erection was embarrassingly flaccid. He couldn't believe that just when he had been about to give up, she had shown such eager predisposition.

She was rubbing his shaft with one hand, tickling her clit with the other while staring up at Severus all the time. He didn't smirk in triumph for once. This was entirely of her doing. He hadn't planned to bed her, on the contrary. He had escaped like a little girl and locked himself in his office while drinking liberal amounts of Firewhiskey. Hermione Granger, on the other hand, had waited for him on his own bed, had almost cornered him for answers and had taken a clear initiative for sex. If he wanted to ever regain control of the situation, this was the time to act. But, still, his pride was in the way. He just wanted to hear _those_ words.

He caressed her curls for a while as he watched her devour his cock and then, caressing her jaw, he forced her to look at him again.

"Say you want me to fuck you," he said in a whisper. Hermione shivered in the cold air of the dungeons but not because she was cold but because she was frightened. She was almost sure she had nothing to be afraid of but the way in which he constantly demanded more of her always made her tremble. So for what seemed like hours- though it had barely been a minute- she stared up at him with her big brown eyes as if trying to read through his eyes and into his mind. But she wasn't a _Leglimens_ so after a while she spoke the only words she knew were true:

"Of course I do," she timidly said, staring at his cock now, too embarrassed to look into his eyes. As soon as the words had come out from her mouth, she had regretted it. The cold stones hurt her knees and all the excitement that had taken over her as she took his clothes off was gone now. She felt stupid. She had gone too far in assuming that she was any good at this.

If Hermione had had the nerve to look up, she would have seen a big smirk on Severus Snape's face. But because she was too embarrassed, she didn't and missed it completely.

"Miss Granger, look up at me, please," he said confidently. She did as told, "Very good. You are a good girl, aren't you, Miss Granger? Yes, undoubtedly you are. So now, if you will, kindly tell me what you want me to do with _this_," he said stroking his cock.

But Hermione didn't answer. She wanted to. She wanted to tell him that she wanted him to fuck her; that ever since he had seen him take Penelope she had fantasized about it; that she had ached for his touch every single time she had climaxed in his presence, but she didn't. She just stayed there, on her knees, with her hands on her lap and her eyes fixed on the grey stones of the dungeons.

"I see," he said with a hint of disappointment in his voice. Truth was he wasn't disappointed at all. In fact, this was the very thing he had hoped would happen. It would have been nice to hear her say those words, on her knees, with her big brown eyes staring at him in desire. But this was even better. This put him in control again.

"Kindly remove your clothes and sit on the bed, please," he said as he took his own robes and shirt off, until there was nothing left of him but his black socks. Hermione silently took her clothes off too, but when she saw his socks she couldn't help but smile. What was she going to do with those socks? She reckoned he must like keeping his feet warm because he couldn't possibly think socks did the trick for her. Still, those socks made him human. Professor Snape had always seemed larger than God, unreachable, untouchable but watching him fold his clothes before sex with those old socks still on made him mortal, a man, someone with whom perhaps she could share something.

She was thinking about that as she sat on his four poster bed, waiting for further instructions. Even though his socks were certainly amusing, she was nervous. She had no doubts in her mind that she wanted him to fuck her, to teach her, to make her moan like he had made Penelope but still she couldn't help but feel self conscious about her body and about her incompetence when it came to sex. So far, she hadn't sucked (hmm) but she was sure she was far from reaching the skills of the kind of scarlet women he surely visited often.

She covered her bare breasts with her arms and crossed her legs when he finally turned around. He smiled.

"No, no," he said shaking his head and walking to were she was, "you will do nothing of the sort," he said as he caress her knuckles gently. Hermione let go and exposed her breasts to the chill air and to his hands which were exploring her chest curiously.

"Lie down," he ordered after a while, too eager to show her a good time to wait. He was going to make her shout that she wanted him to fuck her; she was going to want his cock like she had wanted nothing before in her life. So parting her legs slightly when she finally pressed her back against the mattress, he started rubbing her clit softly and spreading her juices all over the place. He wanted to taste it, to burry his tongue deep inside of her, but she seemed too tense, too frightened to enjoy it.

"Miss Granger, do relax," he said very confidently as he licked his way up her stomach, through her breasts and up her neck. When he reached her ear, his shaft pressing hard on her lower belly, he whispered: "I am not going to hurt you. In fact," he said biting her lobe slightly, "you will absolutely enjoy this. I want you to enjoy yourself. Will you?" he asked and then went back to licking her neck.

"Y-yes," she said softly, eyes closed so as to enjoy the sensations on her neck even more.

"Good," he said with a brief smile as he went back to her entrance, slowly licking her stomach, grinning at the anticipation so obviously plastered in her face. It was almost too easy.

He grabbed her waist and pulled her to the edge of the bed, exposing her to him. This time it was Severus who cursed as the cold stones encrusted themselves on his bare knees. The position was not at all comfortable for him but, like Severus knew all too well, there is always a reward for pain. And, in this case, the prize was just in front of him in the form of Hermione Granger's pussy. He smirked as he pushed his mouth into it, slowly opening her slit with the point of his tongue. The scent and taste was mild; pleasant but intoxicating. Severus didn't hesitate to press his face into her even deeper, licking her wetness and letting his face get wet from her excitement.

His nose, though certainly not a handsome feature, was a tool when it came to pleasuring women. He needn't think about his next move because it came naturally to him: with his oversized and crooked nose, he started rubbing her clit gently as he pushed his tongue inside of her; a prelude of what was to come.

Hermione gasped and arched her back, overwhelmed with the feeling of too many sensations at the same time. She loudly moaned as his hands caressed her hips and was deeply aroused by the sight of Severus' head buried deep between her legs who were hanging idly from the edge of his four poster bed.

And then without any kind of warning he slipped a finger inside, rubbing her walls all too softly as he devoured her pussy with his mouth wide open. His tongue rapidly played with her clit until she couldn't take it anymore and yelled his name.

"Severus," she said, bending her head back. She wanted him to make her cum at once or to stop altogether; she had never known physical pleasure to be so excruciating. Letting someone take control was a new experience for her. Back in her chambers, whenever she had made herself cum thinking of this very moment, it had been she the one in total charge of her ministrations, of her movements, of the speed in which she rubbed her clit furiously but now he was the one in control of her orgasm and it was total agony; a fantastic agony, a pleasing agony but a mentally painful agony nonetheless.

Severus stroked his cock with his free hand and smirked. She was severely mistaken if she thought he was going to make this a quick and mediocre cunnilingus session. To control her release was to control her mind and controlling her mind was the only thing that interested him. He wasn't going to make her cum until she whispered the very words he had wanted to hear for so long. He had worked for those words too hard to give up when he was so close. His shaft was throbbing and his knees were in pain- he was certainly not a twenty year old boy anymore- so he got up and was pleased to see the angry expression that took over her face.

"Sit," he ordered and confused as she was, she still did as ordered. His pussy was painfully wet and the mischievous look on his face made her feel stupid and ignorant. If only she were more experienced…

"Open your legs, Miss Granger," he said and she did, narrowing her eyes at him in suspicion. What was he up to?

But as soon as that thought crossed her mind, she saw- and felt- his knee near her pussy and she understood what she needed to do. Getting closer, she felt the protuberant bones of his knee adjust perfectly to all her sensitive spots and without hesitation she started rubbing herself against it, seeking her own pleasure as Severus stroked himself freely, seeking the exact same thing also on his own.

"Oh, Merlin," she whispered as he stepped back, his knee glistening with her juices. He, then, placed his other knee and watched as she rubbed herself against it too, not embarrassed at all by the odd suggestion he had made. He knew, then, that she was ready. Throwing himself on her and opening her legs wider so that his hard shaft was mere centimetres away from her pussy, he whispered near her ear:

"Say it now, Miss Granger. I need you to say that you want me to fuck you. Do you understand this? Say it or I won't do it," he threatened grabbing his dick and placing the tip at her entrance, ready to plunge as soon as she begged for it.

She moaned very softly as she stared into his eyes, too shocked for words. Rubbing herself on his knee should had been embarrassing but by now she knew all too well that her mind didn't work properly when he was around, arousing her like she had never been aroused in her life. She wanted this, she needed this release, and she wanted him to cum inside of her… so embarrassing herself a little bit more shouldn't be an obstacle at all.

"Severusss," she hissed, ready to confess, "I…,"

But just as she was about to beg, just as she was about to finally give in, to finally surrender to his wishes, he placed his hands on her hips and in one firm thrust, he was inside of her all the way.

So shocked was Hermione that she opened her mouth to say something but closed it again as his forehead pressed on her sternum, kissing her shoulder blade as gently as he had kissed her earlier in the afternoon.

Slowly, he started thrusting in and out of her, delighted at her tightness and wetness. He couldn't still quite believe that he had wasted the opportunity to hear her say the words "Fuck me, Severus" but now that he had his dick buried deep inside of her, words were hardly important. Sure enough, by the look of pleasure in her face, there would be other times in which he would make sure to hear her say it.

Hermione gasped for air as his thrusts became quicker. He had one hand on her breast, playing with her nipple until it was painfully erect, and one hand on her bush, a thumb rubbing furiously against her clit. He was pushing so hard against her that her breasts were bouncing up and down with each movement and he was sure that if he didn't slow down he was going to climax well before she had reached her peak. So he stopped and moved his cock around inside of her before resuming his plunging even more furiously this time.

"Come for me, Miss Granger," he whispered with his soft velvety voice, "come for me,"

Obedient Hermione Granger always did as told, so when she wrapped her legs around his back to deepen the contact between them, he knew she was about to climax. A few more thrusts were all it took for the muscles inside her pussy to start painfully contracting around his member, her juices running all the way down their knees. Severus followed her orgasm with his own, spreading his seed on her stomach and even though Hermione had wondered how it would feel to have a man cum inside of her, she said nothing as his head hit the pillow beside her.

She was just too tired to talk. She didn't think it was wise for her to say anything either but, biting her lip, she called for him.

"Severus," she whispered placing a hand on his back. He said nothing. He didn't even move. He could have died of a heart attack for all she knew. But still, the urge to say what she had wanted to say in the midst of passion burnt inside of her. Gathering all the Gryffindor courage she possessed and waiting for no reply she cleared her throat and said, before turning around, closing her eyes and falling asleep:

"I did want you to fuck me,"


	7. Chapter 7

**To the three people that actually read this:** **I'm sorry this update took so long! I've been having mid-terms (I live in Argentina!) and life has been hectic. I am about to finish chapter 8 and I'll post it next week for sure! It would be FANTASTIC to have some feedback. What do you think about the story? Do you like where this is going? Too many lemons? Too few? I'd love to know your opinion. Even flamers are welcomed! **

**Many thanks to my beta's: Beth, Melissa and Leigh. They rock my socks. **

**Enjoy chapter 7! **

**Conquest Is Easy. Control Is Not,** by Florence W. Snape

**Chapter 7: **

When Hermione woke up the next morning she was not at all surprised to find that he wasn't there. She hadn't really expected him to be, not really, and certainly not after the way he had handled himself in the library the day before. Still, she couldn't help but feel disappointed… and cheap.

Looking back, she was certain she had felt nothing of the sort with Ron. Clumsy as he undoubtedly had been, he had acted very much like she had always thought men would after sex. He had been caring and considered and the grin on his face had been the biggest one Hermione had seen in her life.

Severus had been wonderfully erotic- just like she had expected him to- but she couldn't help but admit to herself that thinking about another man hours after sex was not exactly a compliment but rather a sign that things hadn't gone exactly like she had hoped.

She closed her eyes as she grabbed his pillow and put it between her thighs. Her mouth had never felt drier and she was positive her breath was foul so perhaps it was a good thing that he wasn't around. After all, what had she expected; roses and breakfast in bed? She knew better than that. She knew _him_ better than that.

Of course there were _other_ things about Professor Snape that she knew very well. Shocked at her own memories, she opened her eyes and started slapping her forehead with her right hand in a very house-elfish manner.

'What kind of woman acts the way I did last night?' she asked to herself, pressing the pillow tighter between her legs, 'Certainly not a respectable one,'

Flashes of what had happened the night before appeared clearly in her mind and, disgusted, she shut them away. It took her a couple of minutes of deep breaths to calm down after she remembered that she had actually rubbed herself against his knee like a puppy. She sat down on the bed once her pulse had normalized and, angry at herself still, she threw the pillow against the bathroom door.

"Hermione, Hermione…," she whimpered to herself as she scratched her head, her hair a mess, "You'll be heading for St. Mungo's any day now,"

She frowned slightly at this; talking to oneself was hardly a sign of sanity and, like everything else in her life for the past two months, she had him to thank for that. What was she going to do now? After the way she had acted, there was no way she was going to stay at Hogwarts under his apprenticeship. She had to be insane to stay. Surely the lust potion he had obviously fed her was wearing off because the idea of fucking Professor Snape again was repulsive, abnormal and she hated herself for pursuing him in the first place.

Oh, it was all because of that potion! She had no doubts in her mind now that she could think clearly. Thinking about it hard, it was as if her brain had turned to jelly after watching him with Penelope because she remembered doing very little but thinking about him after that. The idea of _being _Penelope had haunted her and then along came his gift and then his touch… she had obviously lost her mind.

She panicked. What time was it? When was he going to be back? What if he caught her before leaving? How long would it take her to pack all of her things and move to France? Hogwarts had never felt so scary before.

She stood up and, wrapped in his sheets, headed to the door. Her hand was actually resting on the doorknob when she heard the bathroom door open and turned around, taken aback.

"Oh," he said while drying his hair with a white hand towel and stepping over the pillow she had thrown with a bored look on his face, "you're here,"

Hermione said nothing. Her first reaction had been to shout, to tell him off for being so insensitive and to accuse him of feeding her a Lust Potion but instead- and against all odds- she kept her mouth shut and stared at him in disbelief, as if seeing him for the first time. He was definitely quite a sight without his stupid socks on. His legs were pale but hairy and strong, his chest was wide and intimidating, his arms were muscular and elegant, his hands- Hermione shuddered- were beautiful but masculine and even though he was obviously trying to conceal his stomach, she was certain she didn't mind the tummy at all. Every centimetre of his body screamed that he was a man and at this point Hermione blushed, self-conscious about her own body and embarrassed about the whole situation.

"It's impolite to stare, Miss Granger," he said with an amused smile as he walked to the cupboard. He opened it to reveal an impressive quantity of black robes and black cloaks that completely outnumbered his green and grey ones. Unable to find proper words as he turned around revealing his back, she said the first thing that came to her mind.

"Of course I am here," she answered, almost too loudly. She had a horrible sense of timing.

"Certainly," he said as he selected a pair of black robes for the day. Turning around to face her, he let go of his towel and let it drop to the floor, a small smile appearing in his face despite himself.

Hermione turned around at once. It seemed bizarre that only a few hours ago it had been she to actually suggest they have sex. Obviously- she had established this already with her brain- she had been out of her mind. Her cheeks were burning furiously as she said:

"Cover yourself, will you,"

"Don't be ridiculous," he said at once and then added with an almost bored tone, "in any case, you can turn around now,"

She did so but reluctantly and was glad to see that he had his pants on and was grabbing a white shirt.

"Where are you going?" she asked without thinking.

"That," he said as he buttoned the cuffs of his shirt, "is none of your business,"

Hermione felt her cheeks burning again. She closed her fists hard, digging her nails deep on her hand.

"Going to see dear old Penelope?" she jealously asked before she could stop herself. As repulsive as the thought of shagging Snape had been mere minutes ago, the idea of sharing him with another woman gave her a stomachache. She could sense the contradiction within her and frowned even more, furious with herself for allowing him to stir such deep emotions.

"I might," he said defiantly, "since I am going to Diagon Alley for Potion ingredients, but I doubt Penelope is a morning person,"

Hermione hadn't realized that she had been holding her breath the whole time he had been talking. It was only when he spoke those last words that she remembered something about breathing being very important and allowed her lungs to have a bit of dungeon air.

"I am going with you," she said boldly, "I need potion ingredients myself. I could use with a bit more of Jobberknoll feathers for that Memory Potion you are making me brew,"

"I am not 'making you brew' anything, Miss Granger. If I remember correctly you were the one to beg for this," he wrinkled his nose in disgust, "_apprenticeship_. Nevertheless, if you insist on going I won't stop you from spending your Saturday carrying around bags and packages,"

For a moment Hermione thought she'd seen his eyes twinkle with triumph but, on a closer inspection, she realized that those eyes were incapable of ever producing a twinkle.

"Perfect," she said, wrapping her body tightly with his sheets, "I'll be ready in just a minute,"

"I can hardly wait," he said nonchalantly, and then with a bit more of enthusiasm he added pointing at his sheets, "I am afraid, however, that those shall remain in my chamber,"

Closing her fists even tighter and not looking back, Hermione let go of the sheets and walked as graciously as she could back to her bedroom.

Hermione could hardly see where she was going; the many packages containing rare potion ingredients blocked her view completely.

"Why am I not using a simple _Locomotor_ spell again?" she asked as she settled the packages on a table near Florish and Botts, too tired to keep walking.

"Locomotor spells are complex and I am afraid, though brilliant as Flitwick has always said you are, that I cannot rely on your wrist at the moment. One false movement and the dragon blood I've just acquired will be of no use," he explained.

Hermione said nothing even though she knew for a fact that her trembling arms were far more dangerous than her Locomotor spell gone wrong. She had the distinct impression that what she thought on the subject was of little importance; he could get away with anything because of that stupid contract she had signed. She regretted her decision more and more everyday- why hadn't she chosen Beauxbatons instead? She could be brewing potions with a sight of the Mediterranean instead of carrying heavy ingredients without magic through the crowded Diagon Alley.

Grabbing the packages once more, she followed him as the memories of that day in his classroom took over her mind. She remembered her own excitement and the happiness that had invaded her when he had finally signed. It had occurred to her, though she had dismissed the thought instantly due to its absurdity, that he could use the contract for sexual favours. Looking back, she couldn't help but feel stained. She had come to him innocently asking for his knowledge… and what had she got in return?

'Knowledge,' whispered a voice in her head. Again, she thought bitterly, hearing voices in your head is a clear sign that St. Mungo's is not very far away.

"Watch where you are going," he barked at her as she bumped into him.

"I'b soshy, shir," she said apologetically, grabbing a small package at the very top of the pile with her teeth. His dragon blood had been _this_ close to smashing on the floor.

He turned around and even though Hermione could see very little of his face, she was almost sure he was smiling.

"Perhaps we should take a break," he said, taking the small package from her teeth, "we haven't had any breakfast,"

Hermione was elated. Her stomach had been making strange noises all morning and since it was nearly midday it was high time they ate something. She was glad he had asked, though she was suspicious about it nonetheless. Severus Snape was rarely kind or considerate.

When they entered the Leaky Cauldron, Hermione remembered why she hated this place. It was dark and dingy and it resembled the Hog's Head remarkably with one tiny exception: the few wizards and witches sitting in the Leaky Cauldron were far more normal-looking than the crowd that had greeted Dumbledore's Army in their 5th year.

She sat down after placing the packages carefully on a spare chair and looked around for a waiter. There weren't any, there was only Tom cleaning glasses behind the counter, blissfully unaware that new clients had sat down in the left corner.

"What would you like?" Severus asked standing up from his chair. He was obviously not going to wait for Tom to take their order.

Hermione scanned the menu quickly and settled for a burger. He smirked as he walked away from her and returned shortly afterwards with a small bottle of butterbeer and a glass of wine.

"Your _burger_," he said with a look of utmost disgust on his face, "will take a couple of minutes,"

"Oh," she said disappointed, "alright,"

She took a sip of her butterbeer as he stared at her and found herself, yet again, at a loss for words. This was bizarre. They were sitting in silence, waiting for their order, taking large gulps out of their drinks to avoid conversation… and yet, it almost seemed like a date. Indeed it was more of a date than anything Hermione had ever had, with the possible exception of Viktor Krum asking her to the Yule Ball in her 4th year. Acknowledging this only made the situation worse; choking on her butterbeer and spilling some of it on her front, Hermione started giggling uncontrollably.

"What has gotten into you, Miss Granger?" he asked, frowning, "Stop with this nonsense immediately,"

It took a couple of seconds for her actions to sink in and, again, she felt mortified. Giggling? He was right: what _had_ gotten into her?

'_He_ got into you and just last night,' a voice said in her head. This made Hermione smile despite herself.

"I should have never agreed to bring you here," Severus said as Tom silently placed a burger in front of her, "I was under the impression that you of all your Gryffindor schoolmates were more mature. I see, sadly, that I was mistaken"

After that remark, Hermione didn't feel like talking or eating at all. She only reluctantly opened her mouth to swallow the overcooked burger she had ordered but her mouth had suddenly gone dry and even chewing seemed difficult. Disgusted at her burger, she took two more bites, looked up at him and said:

"I am mature,"

"Oh, I see. My apologies, Miss Granger… a giggling curse must have made you act in such an adolescent way, then" said Severus, cutting his meat in small pieces, not looking at her.

"No," she boldly said, "But that doesn't mean I am not mature. You weren't complaining last night…"

There was loud noise as Severus' fork fell on his plate. Hermione jumped on her seat, frightened.

"Miss Granger," he said slowly, his voice barely a whisper, "We are not to discuss what happens in my bedroom in public,"

"And what about what happens in the library or in your classroom?" she said, bending forward a bit more, her eyes not leaving his, "Am I allowed to talk about what happens in other places?"

When she had been a student, the idea of provoking Professor Snape had never seemed wise and yet now that she was his apprentice- and what else? Could she be his mistress when he had no wife?- the idea was very arousing; it gave her some control over a situation in which he was always the master.

She was obviously expecting some kind of angry speech, a promise to never touch her again… _something_. Instead, he sat back, crossed his arms across his chest and smirked. He seemed to be examining her and this, more than the angry words that never came, made her feel uneasy. The silence between them was nerve-wrecking and his gaze was burning her like unprocessed _bobotuber_ _puss_.

"What?!" she finally asked, scarlet in the face.

"Silence," he ordered as softly as he could, "Now, listen carefully. I am going to tell you, beforehand, exactly what I am going to do and what I request of you and you, of course, will do as you are told. Do you understand me, Miss Granger?"

"Y-yes," she said, stuttering. Despite her rant on how very mature she could be, his sexual orders said in a whisper in the middle of a bar made it clear who was in control.

"In a few seconds, I am going to stand up from this chair and sit on the one next to you. You will, then and only at my command, open your legs slightly. Under no circumstances are you allowed to make a sound. Are we clear?"

"Crystal," she said, opening her eyes as wide as she could, eager to find out what he was about to do but afraid all the same.

Exactly as he had foreshadowed it, he stood up and sat on the chair nearest to her without saying a word and with a poker expression on his face.

Hermione gasped as his hand lifted her robes and caressed her knee. Too embarrassed to look straight to his face when his bare touch had sent shivers down her spine, she looked the other way hoping that no one in the dimly lighted Leaky Cauldron could see what they were doing.

She, then, felt the same hand move to her inner thighs and she had to bite on her tongue in order to remain silent. Still not looking at him, she grinned nonchalantly at Tom, the bartender, who smiled a toothless smile back.

But just when she was completely sure that the sight of Tom had killed her libido, his hand reached her knickers and she moaned softly. Knowing perfectly well that she had disobeyed him, she turned her head fast to examine his features but found a small grin instead. He loved it, didn't he? He loved knowing that drawing little eights with his finger above her knickers did the trick for her and that he needn't do anything else to shut her up. Swearing to herself, she promised to have a little bit more of self control next time.

Opening her legs wider, she let him play with the hem of her knickers and once inside she let him brush her clit innocently with his fingertip. He wasn't being aggressive at all; he was slowly but persistently arousing her and as she sighed and pressed her back against the back of her chair, she thought that she rather liked it when he was gentle to her.

"Now, Miss Granger," he whispered, "I am going to return to my seat across from you. However, do keep your legs opened. I am going to perform a little trick that I think you might enjoy,"

Hermione was puzzled. He was doing just fine manually, why the constant need for magic? Being Muggle-born she was rather attached to the concept of having sex in a Muggle way without any kind of magical aid.

Her opinions on the subject, however, were about to change. Muttering a few words under his breath with his wand pointing at her crotch from under the table, he cast a simple spell that sent constant vibrations to her clitoris.

At once she felt her body react to the ripples being sent by his wand; her back arched pushing her hips forward and she let a soft moan escaped her lips. Her body posture was bizarre but no one seemed to have noticed. Severus expressions were as bored as they could be but she could see the desire burning in his eyes and was almost sure that if she were to touch him between his legs, she would find him hard and ready to plunge into her.

This line of thought, however, wasn't helping.

"Hogwarts," she said, her breathing irregular, "Castle… now"

"I am afraid that is not possible," he said looking at her plate, "you have yet to finish your meal,"

He couldn't be serious. Was he actually going to make her finish her burger while he kept sending those vibes under the table? Her clit was painfully sore but the need to touch herself had never been more intense.

"Are you serious?" she asked, banging her hands on the table to prevent them from exploring.

"I am," he simply said, "and I am going to wait until you are finished. If you manage to find control within yourself you will be rewarded,"

And once again, he sat back, crossed his arms and stared her, examining his expressions with- this time she was sure- a look of triumph and lust in his face.

With her elbows painfully resting on the table, she started taking big bites out of her burger. This, Hermione thought, was the most humiliating experience of her life. What could he find arousing about watching her devour a hamburger anyway?

She jumped on her seat when a powerful ripple reached her and she had to take another bite in order to muffle her moans. Slowly she started rocking her hips against the wood of the chair because any kind of friction was good friction when you aren't allowed certain liberties. Her knickers were damp and she had started to sweat… food had never been more unappealing. Thinking about the rewards, however, helped her cope. What could he possibly give her if she finished her meal without succumbing to temptation? And as she continued to take big bites out of her burger and gulping down large amounts of butterbeer, she let her mind wander on the kind of things he could consider a reward. She was too new on this whole thing… what did he know about her own body that she didn't? What could she possibly like more than having him inside her? Maybe he was just talking about that, maybe she was setting her hopes too high… or maybe not.

It took her a couple of minutes to realize that she had finished with her task. Severus was still smirking at her but she could tell that he had wanted her to finish as soon as possible too.

"Very good," he said, raising his eyebrow, "Very good indeed. You will be rewarded. _Finite Incantatem_,"

Hermione felt a little bit disappointed when the continuous waves that had threatened her sanity stopped. She was sore and wet to her thighs… what were they waiting for?

"Should we…er… Apparate?" she asked, crossing her legs at once.

"No," he whispered softly as he searched his robes for Galleons, "We'll take a room here,"

Hermione's stomach turned. What would all these people think if they saw her climbing the stairs with Professor Snape? Would rumours that she was sleeping with her former teacher spread quickly within the Wizarding world? Ron was surely going to have a heart attack if he knew…

"No one here cares about our business, Miss Granger," he said standing up, concealing his erection with his black cloak, "However, you will go upstairs first and I will follow you shortly,"

Hermione watched as Professor Snape gave Tom a handful of Galleons and whispered what was sure to be instructions on what to do with the many ingredients they had bought that morning. She wondered how many times he had done this with Penelope- or with any other woman for that matter- and the idea made her extremely jealous. Ever since this morning- since last night- the idea of having to share him, of being just "one more…" made her feel extremely uneasy. She should have known better than to start messing around with Professor Snape.

She turned her head around once again and was surprised to see that he was no longer there. Tom, however, was limping his way though the tables towards hers.

"This way," the old man said, grinning excitedly. The idea of that man knowing what they were going to do gave her the creeps. It, also, strengthened her beliefs that it wasn't the first time Severus Snape had invited a lady to the Leaky Cauldron.

She climbed the stairs following Tom to room 13 and, once alone, sat on the bed, oblivious to the wetness between her legs. He wasn't there. What if he had tricked her into this room and stood her up? He was capable of worse things, why not this? He had always despised her for being friends with Harry Potter and for being in Gryffindor. Why would a Slytherin pass on an opportunity to make the life of a Gryffindor miserable?

She stood up and started walking to the door, angry at herself for being so stupid, when she heard a loud _POP_ behind her.

"Leaving?" he asked, taking his cloak off. The tent in his pants was impressive and Hermione was no longer mad at herself but proud- _she_ was responsible for _that_. The idea that her control over her own orgasm could make him so hard sent a clear signal to her crotch.

"No," she lied, pressing her back to the door.

"Good," he said while walking to where she was.

Once close enough so that the hems of their robes touched, he looked straight into her eyes as if asking for permission for what he was about to do and pressed his erection on her belly, his nose playing with hers, teasing her with the idea of a kiss that wasn't coming. Without breaking contact, he lifted her left leg to his hip and pressed even harder, rubbing himself on her.

Hermione opened her mouth to moan but was muffled once again, this time by Severus' mouth who claimed hers in a kiss that wrecked of passion and need.

Years later Hermione would reflect upon this very night and wonder what made her wrap her arms around his neck and press him harder to her mouth but she would find no answer except that perhaps this was the end of their beginning.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:**** Well, I'm done with chapter 8. I am afraid to say, however, that this version has not been beta read yet, but I just couldn't wait to upload it for you guys. Therefore, I apologize for the many mistakes I am sure you will find but I promise I'll upload the corrected version as soon as I get it from my girls. **

**About the plot, what do you guys think? It might sound like it's going too fast… but I don't think I am. I give you carte blanche to flame me as you see fit, though. **

**I'll see you soon (hopefully!) in chapter 9! Enjoy the reading and thanks a bunch for the AWESOME reviews! **

**Conquest is Easy, Control is Not** By Florence W. Snape

**Chapter 8:**

When they broke apart, gasping for breath and with their lips slightly swollen, Severus cursed himself for his lack of control. Watching Hermione seize control of her own urge to touch herself had sent him over the edge and he himself had needed a great deal of control in order not to climax in his pants.

Taking a couple of steps back, he collapsed on the bed. He wasn't entirely sure what had happened downstairs but the outcome had aroused him completely. She hadn't even protested his advances and this, instead of reassuring him that his plan was working, made him feel dishonest and perverted. For the first time since she had knocked on his door, Severus Snape was having second thoughts on their arrangement.

"Come," he said after a while to a very awestricken and frightened Hermione who was still pressed firmly against the door. Taking small steps, she lifted her robes as she sat on his lap, his erection pressing on her bottom.

"Is this alright?" she timidly asked, trying to focus on the carpet instead than on his hands caressing her back. It is more than alright, he thought, trying to push his new sense of guilt aside.

"Where did you learn this?" he asked unbuttoning her robes from the back, "Do you always sit on a man's lap lifting your robes?"

She swallowed. Had she been too forward? Had her actions been too wanton? Did he regret her initiative? His mind may, but his body was quite happy with her boldness. She could feel it on the small of her back and she rubbed herself against it making him gasp.

"No," she answered. He smirked. The idea of Hermione Granger lifting her robes so that she could rub her wetness against another man was absurd. This was exactly the kind of behaviour that he had been so keen on teaching.

"Lean back on my chest," he ordered. She did as told and found that his breath near her ear was the most erotic thing she had experienced, much more disturbing that those ripples he had sent under the table. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his chest on her back firmly. She was trembling slightly; he had never been this gentle before and yet there they were, hugging like lovers, even though they weren't.

"You are a beautiful woman, Hermione," he whispered near her ear and she shuddered at the mere mention of her name. Did he really think she was beautiful or was he saying that only to get her into bed? Hermione found herself touched by his words but, on the whole, didn't think the sweet talk was necessary- she wanted this as much as he did, after all.

"You think I'm lying," he said after a while, caressing her arms, "I assure you I am not. I am sure you can feel what you do to me," he whispered pressing himself harder on her back, "You are completely enticing and I want to eat you. But first, indulge me,"

"W-what do you want?" she asked with a facial expression that depicted nothing but pleasure from his confession; her eyes closed and her mouth opened slightly, she looked exactly like women should look when aroused.

"Before you came to me," he started, "Did you ever touch yourself?"

"Yes," she said boldly, her eyes still closed, her head resting under his chin.

"Tell me about the first time," he ordered as softly as he could. His left hand was drawing circles inside her knee and his right hand was caressing her curly hair, "and be honest. I will know if you lie,"

Swallowing hard for the second time since he had entered the room, she tried to remember about the first time she had pleasured herself. The memory came to her quickly and she saw herself, as in a pensieve, face down on her bed at Hogwarts, panting and moaning into her pillow so as to not wake up her fellow roommates.

"It was in 5th year," she confessed, "I had woken up in the middle of the night, restless, but not because of a nightmare. I…I remember being…I was sweaty and panting for breath but …er… I was also much aroused. I tried to remember what I had dreamt about but my mind had gone blank…,"

"Were you wet?" he asked, caressing her inner thighs, wondering if she was wet right now.

"Yes," she said at once, dropping her head back on his shoulder, "I was. It burned. I knew what I needed to do but I was scared. What if the other girls heard me? What if the other girls caught me?"

"Did they?" he asked, excited, as his fingers found her damp knickers. She opened wide for him to explore and had to hold her breath when his fingers began, yet again, to draw little eights in the now wet fabric of her knickers.

"No," she set at once, "I casted a Silencing Spell and drew the curtains of my four poster bed,"

"How clever," he said, breathing heavily, "It is always important to keep a cool mind,"

"Hmmm," she simply answered when his mouth started kissing the union between her neck and her shoulders.

"Tell me more," he said, still caressing her clit through her undergarments, "Who were you thinking of?"

"A faceless man," she replied quickly, pushing her hips forward and arching her back, "_Please_, Severus…,"

"Not yet," he whispered softly. Although her excitement and her story were certainly pushing him over the edge, he wanted to find out more about how she had done it, "Tell me how you did it,"

"I went on all fours," she started, "and pushed one hand through my pajama bottoms …. and… er…through my knickers. I didn't finger myself," she said as one of his fingers dwelled inside the elastic, "I didn't want it to hurt. So instead I did the only thing I knew would feel nice… I rubbed myself until I came. My heart was ...beating… so… hard," Hermione said, gasping for air as he pushed one finger inside.

But Severus never did hear that last part. Rolling on top of her, he ripped a hole on her knickers and fucked her hard.

* * *

Sweaty, happy and exhausted from sex, she had her head on his chest and her right hand was playing with the few hairs under his navel. She had always known he was indeed very pale but it wasn't until now- when they were skin to skin and she could use herself as comparison- that she understood just how much. She thought that, on the whole, this was the most intimate she had ever been with anybody and she was half afraid that he, being who he was, would come to his senses and hex her bits off. Still, she didn't let go; she had never felt more relaxed in her life.

Looking up, she examined his face- he wasn't sleeping but his eyes were closed and he had a dreamy expression on his face. She smiled. Had this not been Severus Snape she would have felt responsible for his expression but she didn't fancy herself capable of shagging his brains out. Deep down, however, she wished he would prove her wrong.

"Why are you staring at me?" he said, not opening his eyes still.

"I am not," she lied and, at once, disentangled herself from his body. It had been peaceful while it lasted but she knew better than to expect…_cuddling_… from Severus Snape. He probably thought cuddling was something noble-hearted Gryffindors did, not cunning Slytherins. So she was taken aback when he pressed her against him and placed a hand on top of her curls, preventing her from moving. The gentle manner in which he had done such a dominating thing, however, returned her smile. Could it possibly be? Could it be that she was getting under his thick snake skin?

"I was not staring," she reassured him as he caressed her head.

He wanted to say something- he really did!- but, instead, he kept his sarcastic remark to himself. He found that he enjoyed holding her too much to ruin it.

* * *

Minerva McGonagall wasn't the kind of woman to interfere in other people's business, particularly his colleagues'. In fact, she was one of the few- if not, in fact, the only one- who could proudly say that in all of her teaching career- and we are talking about over forty years of standing dunderheads here- she hadn't pried on her co-workers' private lives once. She hadn't had the need to, not really, if she had to be perfectly honest. So why was she, then, walking in circles around her desk contemplating the idea of having a long talk with Professor Snape about Hermione Granger?

For one thing, she had failed to see them in the Great Hall for meals for over four weeks now. Come to think of it, the last time she had even seen Hermione Granger had been that afternoon when she had asked her to return that mouldy book to Severus. And for the other one, because the little she did see of Severus Snape, had left her feeling extremely uneasy. Not once since he had returned to Hogwarts to teach had he looked happier. Well, perhaps "happy" was not the word but, certainly, it was the next best thing. The way he walked, the strange smile on his face and the small amount of points Gryffindor had lost during Potions stood as evidence of this new and weird behaviour.

Minerva McGonagall was no fool; she knew something smelled fishy. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together, really. It all made sense. Professor Snape had obviously sacked Hermione Granger as his apprentice… and she needed to know why. She felt a particular sense of protection over this student and she felt that the least she could do was change his mind. After all, her whole brilliant future was on the line!

"What could have made him fire her?," she wondered a few minutes later as she descended to the dungeons, heading towards Snape's office. "What could she possible have done? Of course, knowing Severus, she needn't have done much; being a Gryffindor would do,"

She shook her head bitterly and arranged her glasses, which were lopsided, as she reached his door which was ajar. She was about to knock on it gently when a familiar voice made her hesitate and take a couple of steps back.

"Severus, please," the all-too-familiar voice of Hermione Granger jokingly said.

What was she doing here? Asking for mercy perhaps? Begging him to take her back? Minerva wanted to believe this very much because the alternative made her shiver from head to toe.

"You've been very naughty," said Snape, "and you need to be punished for not letting the Strengthening Solution mature enough,"

There was something about the tone in Severus' voice that made it plain that he wasn't in the least bit interested about the potion. Minerva could guess what this was about but needed to hear Hermione's answer with her own ears.

"Should I scrub cauldrons without magic? Or would you rather I'd help Filch polish the trophies at night or help Hagrid with the Thestrals?"

Professor McGonagall sighed with relief. Her old ears must have deceived her earlier. It was ridiculous if she thought about it hard enough; Hermione Granger with Professor Snape? She couldn't think of two personalities less alike.

"That won't do at all, Miss Granger,"

Minerva nodded. _Miss Granger _was hardly the way he would refer to her if she was his lover. Whatever this was about, she shouldn't be eavesdropping.

"What would you have me do, then?" she asked innocently.

"Come," he said in a very commanding voice that made Professor McGonagall stop on her tracks once again. Perhaps he was going to resort to physical violence? That wouldn't do at all. She had to put a stop to this nonsense. But then she heard Hermione giggle and knew at once that the child wasn't afraid. She must have heard wrongly… again.

"I want you to rest your hands on my desk and lift your skirt up," he commanded.

She felt like chocking. She could deny it all she wanted but had she actually heard Severus Snape order Hermione Granger to lift up her skirt in his presence? What kind of behaviour was this?

"Is this okay?" she asked.

Minerva was too afraid to look but she could only guess that his former star pupil had complied with his request. The idea sickened her.

"Very good, Miss Granger, very good," he whispered ever so slowly that Minerva had to actually _Scrougify_ her ears magically to hear properly.

Smack. Smack. Smack.

Minerva covered her mouth with both her hands at this point. She was too shocked to speak but she couldn't trust herself not to scream and it was not at all wise to let them know that she had overheard them. She wanted to leave- she wanted to more than anything!- but her shoes were glued to the spot she was standing on and her mind was blank. Could this be? How could Miss Granger have agreed to this?

But then she heard a very distinct whimper that could only mean that she was enjoying it. This could not be happening, this could not be possible. Barely daring to breath, Professor McGonagall thought of two very logical explanations for the sound of skin on skin she was hearing. Either a) Hermione had been fed a very powerful Lust Potion or b) this was a Death Eater impersonating her with Polyjuice. Though unlikely, both scenarios were possible. What was her to do?

Smack. Smack.

"Do you like this?" he asked, "when I slide a finger in?"

Minerva had to make up her mind quickly; she had just heard a grunting noise that could only mean a "_yes, I enjoy it very much_".

"Fuck me, please," whispered Hermione.

Professor McGonagall wanted to be anywhere but there. What could she possibly do; storm in and curse them? She rather thought the shock of seeing them naked involved in a very promiscuous act would scar her for life. But if she was indeed a Death Eater seeking revenge…

"No," he said at once but Minerva heard the unmistakable sound of a zipper being pulled down and then three more "smacks", which meant that she had little time to make up her mind. The situation was bad but they may well all in danger. Yes, it was the only way. They would have to _Obliviate_ her later but it was worth it- Severus could be in mortal peril. But just when she was about to storm into the office and start throwing curses around, Hermione said something that made it clear that the person being spanked was no Death Eater.

"Oh, for Voldemort's most baggy Y fronts, Severus,"

And then she heard him laugh and a second later Hermione had joined in and they were laughing together. Minerva was not entirely sure- she had to look it up- but Lust Potions weren't supposed to stir these kinds of emotions, this…_intimacy_. Could it be a Love Potion?

"Miss Granger, language," he said a few seconds later, trying to sound serious. Smack. Smack. Smack.

Minerva was sure that the smacks were growing slightly less noisy which meant that he was being gentler- which, in turn, didn't soothe her in the least. An evil grumpy and somewhat perverted Severus she could handle… but an infatuated Severus she was not so sure.

Smack. And then there was silence and Minerva was almost sure that he was caressing the red handprints on her ass, trying to make it all better, mixing pain and pleasure. Smack, but this time it was so gentle that she wasn't sure she hadn't imagined it.

"Severus…," Hermione whispered before screaming with pleasure. He had obviously complied with her wishes: he was fucking her.

This Minerva could not witness. This Minerva could not bear to hear. She could very well endure Severus gloating about Slytherin beating Gryffindor at last in Quidditch but not this. She could very well stand Hermione Granger's somewhat obnoxious know-it-all nature in class but certainly not this. And yet, she wasn't moving.

And it was not like she was enjoying it. She was, in fact, so red that she could have easily blended in with the curtains of his student's four poster beds and so angry that her hands were clenched in fists at her sides and her lips pressed so tightly that her mouth was but a thin line on her face. Still, she couldn't move.

Could it be perhaps that she wanted to thoroughly witness the shagging till the end, so as to not jump to the wrong conclusion or was it simply that the shock of finding out had numbed her brain blank? The indecency of it all was just too much.

"Oh, Hermione," Minerva heard him whisper, but his voice sounded muffled, probably because of her hair. Was he taking her against the desk like in a common Student/Professor fantasy? Could he not wait till they reached their quarters like everybody else's? They couldn't even be bothered to put up the proper spells, the nerve! What if a student had walked in on them instead? She knew this was unlikely because only Prefects were allowed to wonder the halls this late at night but, still, it was inexcusable.

She could distinctively hear his balls against her and she cursed herself for not seeing the signs sooner. And to think that only minutes ago she had believed him capable of sacking her! How naïve had she been!

It was only when their breaths became more erratic and their screams louder that Minerva knew she had heard enough. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself down. She wasn't the type to meddle in other people's business but this was simply ridiculous! She needed time to think about a proper way of handling this situation; a nice long talk to the Headmaster could not be overruled but only after exhausting all other possible strategies.

With the resolution of a woman in a mission, she silently transfigured her shoes into fluffy slippers ('it wouldn't do to be overheard,' she reminded herself with a frown) and climbed the steps up to the Entrance Hall and to Gryffindor Tower.

Had Minerva decided to stay a little longer, she would have heard them scream a whole dictionary of profanities before they climaxed and share a very awkward conversation afterwards:

"Merlin, that was fantastic," she said breathlessly as she put her work robes back on, "though, I must point out that my potion had enough time to mature,"

"Indeed," he said, "but you remain my apprentice and, regrettably, it falls on me to show you the injustices of the world."

His tone was very solemn and stiff but she chuckled all the same. She was slowly learning when not to take him seriously and she kind of liked that. There were times in which it was all very confusing- "it" meaning "this thing between Snape and herself"- but there were other times when it made absolute sense and she wouldn't have it any other way. The aftermaths of sex, curiously, were such times.

"I may need a Deflating Ointment for my cheeks, you know," she said in a sweet and hopeful tone.

"I'll apply some later," he reassured her with a wicked smile as he turned around to open the door for her. But then he saw something that made his heart stop for a second: the door was ajar. How could he have been so stupid?

"Oh no," he heard her said behind his back, "Do you think somebody heard us?"

Severus frowned. It was certainly a possibility. His recklessness could very well put an end to his teaching career and to Hermione's apprenticeship. This had never happened before; he had never completely and utterly lost control like this. But then again, it was this and not his constant erections what she had managed to produce in him the most lately.

"It is possible," he simply said, hoping that she would panic and lose control so that he could regain some himself, but she didn't. Instead he felt her tiny hand on his shoulder and he found that he didn't mind it at all. In fact, he liked it so much that he caressed her knuckles with his cheek in such an impeccable personification of that unbearable cat of hers that he forced himself to pull his mind together before she realized what a complete and utter fool he was.

"We'll know soon enough," she said in a confident tone that let him know that she wasn't worried or worse… ashamed.

"I should have taken the necessary precautions. This shouldn't have happened," he said.

"Do you regret it?" she said with a tinge of apprehension.

Severus shook his head, but didn't verbalize his answer. Didn't she understand the sticky situation in which they were in? Didn't she understand that his irresponsibility may very well have risked everything they had worked for individually? What about her reputation? What about his job? What would Albus think? Feeling overwhelmed like he hadn't in a very long time, he failed to find his voice.

"Severus, do you?"

He smirked. Hermione Granger was pushing _him_ against the ropes, now that was ironic! This wasn't what he had planned at all when he took her on as his apprentice. In his fantasy there was a lot more sex and a lot less talking and feelings… it was hilarious really that he found himself in the very situation he had avoided all his life. He could hear her rapid breathing and, at once, he knew that his silence was getting to her. _That_ was exactly what he had planned: manipulating her feelings and meticulously seducing her into his bed. Somewhere along the line, he had lost his way and he desperately needed it to find it again. Being around Hermione Granger was intoxicating; so much so that he hadn't been himself lately. He needed space to breathe and time to barricade in his bedroom and think things through.

"Severus…," he heard her whisper, begging for his attention.

Unable to break her heart with cynic words, he opened the door and, without looking back, climbed the stairs into the Entrance Hall. With determination, he opened the great oak doors and disappeared into the dark grounds of Hogwarts. Seconds later, he Desapparated.

* * *

**To my beta's: SO? What do you think? Is it too fast? Did you understand that the second part of this chapter is 15 days after the first part? Do you think some people may not get it? How do you feel about this chapter or about the story? **

**Any suggestions are more than welcomed! **

**Florence**


	9. Chapter 9

_Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars. _

_Kahlil__Gibran_

**Conquest is Easy, Control is Not** By Florence W. Snape

**Chapter 9:**

It was not yet morning when Severus Snape returned to his chambers, absolutely sure that he wouldn't find her there. After all, how could she be there still after what had happened earlier? Any respectable woman- and Severus was sure that Hermione was, indeed, very respectable; naughtiness in the bedroom not withstanding- would have felt offended that he had left her at her most vulnerable, feeling ashamed of her own actions and quite possibly facing the rage of Professor McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore upon discovering what had really been going on down in the dungeons.

Yes, he felt somewhat calm as he waved his wand repeatedly undoing the charms that usually protected his chambers. He was not drunk, though he had had a couple of firewhiskeys down at the Hog's Head. He went down there mostly because he needed time to think and doing it over drinks was much more endurable than doing it completely sober, but also because he wanted to give her time to flee without him witnessing her departure. He wasn't sure why the thought of her leaving made him uncomfortable but he tried to push those feelings aside. He really should be feeling grateful that this whole thing was over and relieved that she would be gone from his life forever, so he did his best to logically convince himself that it was all for the greater good. Everything would be back to normal once he got back to Hogwarts, but he ought to give her time. Yes, time was essential.

So six hours later Severus Snape could be found waving his wand remarkably slowly in front of his front door, trying to delay the moment in which he would come face to face with reallity.

The door cricked opened but he didn't move.

"What are you doing here?" he asked from the doorframe still, frowning at the sight of _her_ of all people.

"I live here. Where did you expect me to be?" she said, standing up at once for she had been waiting for him in the couch in which they had shared a naughty adventure some weeks before.

"Certainly not here," he said, turning his back to her and warding his door again.

"We need to talk," Hermione said, walking to where he was. She stretched her right arm to touch his shoulders but something made her pull away. She wasn't entirely sure if the man that had returned to her smelling of cigars was old snarky Professor Snape or passionate Severus Snape, the one she had grown so fond of over the last couple of weeks.

"I see no point in talking, Miss Granger. I failed to answer your question earlier because I saw no reason to hurt your feelings- after all, we_have_ been intimate- but if you insist, I will and I am certain you won't find it pleasing,"

"Severus…," she started to say, her hands shaking slightly.

"This has progressed a lot further than I anticipated and it has to stop," he firmly said, his back to her.

"Will you please look at me while you talk?" she asked, angry in spite of herself.

He turned around reluctantly and saw her- really saw her- for the first time after leaving her in his office. Her eyes were red and puffy, her hair was a mess and her lower lip was trembling a little, silently begging Severus to kiss it and make it all better. He must have stared at her lips a little too long because suddenly her face was so close he could count the nineteen freckles on her nose he had grown to adore. She was staring at him intently and when she pressed a hand on his chest, he looked away at once. He knew that staring at the floor while she was boldly taking action made him look like a coward but the sincerity of her gaze was entirely too much to handle at the moment. He didn't trust himself around her anymore; he didn't entirely trust himself to do what he knew must be done, what he should have done in the first place.

"This," he said, firmly grabbing her wrist, "is entirely inappropriate, Miss Granger. I expected better of you. I thought that after what happened tonight you would have the good sense to leave. Since you are still here, perhaps I should make myself clearer. _Accio Contract_!"

In seconds, the parchment flew from Severus' study to his outreached hands.

'_Incendio_,' he thought, not because he was really good at non-verbal spells though he undoubtedly was, but because he wasn't entirely sure he could speak; the look of utter terror on her face was not something he would soon forget. He turned around again and started undoing the wards for the second time that night. When he was done, without turning around he softly whispered, "Leave now,"

He could hear her sobbing behind him and he had to dig his fingernails deep into his skin to prevent himself from hugging her.

"Severus… no… I can't believe… this can't be over," she stammered, her hand on her chest now so as to feel the speed of her heartbeats, as if afraid it might stop working any second now.

"Rest assured that I will write a letter of recommendation to the Potions Mater or Mistress you wish to continue your apprenticeship with. Your studies will not be affected," he stated matter-of-factly.

"My studies? Severus, I don't care about my studies! What is this? Why are you doing this? Is it about the door being ajar? I don't care if someone heard us! Please, don't do this," she begged.

"Don't be stupid. This has nothing to do with the door being ajar. What did you expect, Miss Granger; for me to marry you, to father your children? You should have realized that it was not possible, that it could never last. I am not that kind of man," Severus said, his voice in perfect control, his tone a threatening one.

"No…I wasn't thinking that far along…," she started to say.

"Exactly, Miss Granger, you clearly weren't thinking," he said, stepping closer to her, "Leave now, girl,"

"I won't," she said, determined, "Severus, please… feel my heart," she said, grabbing his hand and placing it on her left breast. He could distinctively feel her heart hammering away rapidly under his palm. He wanted to say something but he was half afraid he would choke for under that hand rested a heart that was beating fast for _him_.

Being that such a personal and overwhelming thing to realize, he pushed the thought aside and focused his attention on her hardened nipples. If this was goodbye, he might as well greet her properly. To his amazement, she came undone under his touch and soon enough their robes laid scattered on the floor and they were locked in each other's arms, with Severus' lips firmly attached to Hermione's neck and chest.

"Is this what you want?" he whispered while licking his way down her navel "is this you crave?"

"Yes…," she confessed, grabbing his hair and pulling his head down.

He smirked. He could really be proud of himself; he really had tainted her. Who would have thought that Hermione Granger was capable of such wanton acts? This was all his doing; he was her teacher in the matters of the flesh. It had been good while it lasted but now it was time for her to graduate. Sure, he was going to miss the softness of her skin, the taste of her breasts, the sounds from her mouth and even the particular sensation of waking up with his nose buried in a mountain of her curls, but it had to be done.

He inhaled deeply, as if trying to detect the exact components of her perfume and continued licking his way down until he realized that this was going to be the very last time he was going to touch her and that soon enough other men would bury their tongues deep inside her or fuck her with their fingers. He was to remain behind, fucking the occasional whore, while she moved on to greater things, greater men, far away from Hogwarts, from him, from what they had shared.

And suddenly he was angry, and this rage was like nothing he had felt before… it was possessive, it was animal. He wanted to mark her, he wanted to hurt her for her future infidelity, he wanted to make it perfectly clear to whoever came next that this woman had been his and it was because of him that she had transform into this temptress.

"Turn around," he ordered. She opened her eyes at once, smiled, and complied with what he had requested. After all, when had he really hurt her? She trusted him completely and that appealed immensely to his dark side. He had her completely at his mercy. Her ass was soft and round and entirely too big, according to her, but he loved it. He could still see the red marks he had left earlier in his office when they had played Detention and again, he felt the Death Eater in him take control. With no restraint whatsoever, he slapped her cheeks hard again and again until they were purple and she was no longer moaning from pleasure but shouting from pain.

"Severus…please, STOP!" she shouted, but he couldn't hear her. The more it hurt, the better because it could, in no way, compare to the horrible truth that she was about to leave him forever. And after this, she wasn't going to beg to stay anymore.

Spreading her ass cheeks, he felt his way towards her clit and stimulated her with his fingers. It took little to no time for her to trust him again, to open completely to him, to purr whenever he caressed her swollen flesh. The fact that she could get so wet over such torturous treatment made his cock twitch and beg for release. His arousal was painfully evident through his trousers and his eyes when blank for a moment when she pressed her hot bottom on his hips, teasing him, inviting him in.

He needed to feel her, he needed to mark her. She was leaving him forever and he knew that the only way to satiate his animalistic irrational need. Reaching down between their bodies, he slipped his middle finger inside and touched a particularly sensitive spot that made her moan the sweetest thing Severus had ever heard. He wasn't going to be able to hold it much longer.

Gathering most of her juices and lubricating her anus, he slipped a finger up her ass and felt her stiffen. With one hand, he unzipped his pants and stroked his aching cock a couple of times, preparing himself for what was to come. He needn't bother, though: he had been ready from the moment she had placed his hand on her chest.

Taking his finger out, he rubbed the head of his member on her slit, teasing her, inviting her to relax. After a couple of minutes, Hermione had forgotten all about Severus' previous explorations and wanted nothing more than to be filled and stretched. But if she thought he was going to go about the usual way, she had other thing coming. When he finally pushed the head past the muscles on her bottom, she screamed in pain.

"No. Not there, please, Severus…," she begged and tried to pull away but Severus was having none of that. Grabbing her hips forcefully and digging his fingernails on her skin, he pushed forward until he was half-way inside of her. Distantly, as if hearing her from an old radio, he heard her crying. He wanted to say something, to reassure her that it was going to be alright and that after a while the pain would go away only to be replaced by ecstasy but he stopped himself from doing any of those things. In fact, the more it hurt the better. He wanted her out of his life, didn't he? He wanted her marked and ready to leave as soon as he was finished and so he ignored her protests and pulled out only to pull in again…and again and again until he was all the way inside, buried to the hilt in Hermione's virgin tunnel. She was whimpering in pain but he kept thrusting all the same. Somewhere along the way, though, Hermione stopped fighting him and only to lay there, almost as still as a statue, gasping for air and with a painful expression on her face, as if waiting for it to be over soon, hoping that he would stop before it was too late to go back.

Severus tried to ignore it at first. Her reluctance to scream and protest only urged him to fuck her harder and faster but she didn't give him the satisfaction of reacting to his cruel treatment. Finally, he stopped too and pressed his forehead on her back, trying to steady his heart. He was still buried deep inside of her but even though the tight walls were enough to make any man come, his cock felt oddly flaccid. In seconds he came to realize that feeling her cry underneath him was the saddest feeling in the world and that personal gratification was not possible under the circumstances.

Pulling out of her, he sighed. She was trembling from head to toe and her cheeks were wet with tears. Her hair was a mess and her bum bore all the marks of his abuse. He hated himself for marking her skin that way but he despised himself even more for ever thinking that changing Hermione Granger was possible. Indeed her appetite for sex had increased with each encounter but looking at her now, with her ass still in the air and her eyes painfully shut, he couldn't help but think that he had tainted something beautiful and innocent. Were the few nights of passion and the couple of role-playing games worth such sad sight?

But it wasn't about sex anymore. No. Severus Snape had known even earlier in his office while they shared a laugh that it had stopped being about sex a long time ago. And it was this intoxicating thing that he dared not name- the same that made him whistle happily on the way to his chambers every night or buy rare books in Hogsmeade that matched her interests- that had complicated things. But now that she hated him, and he had made sure of that, his hands were clean and he could go back to sour evenings and taking abnormally large amounts of points from Gryffindor. He sensed, however, that not even winning the Quidditch Cup from McGonagall would make him feel better.

With his back to her, he _Accio_'ed their robes and threw the smaller one to Hermione who, by now, was sitting down on the couch but refused to meet his gaze. For the first time in his adult life, Severus Snape realized that he had a heart. And it was because of this that he needed to get away from her. Taking a deep breath, he said the only thing left unsaid.

"Goodbye, Miss Granger,"

And with that, he walked all the way to his chambers and closed the door. The next day, when he woke up, he found that she was no longer there and that she had left him, perhaps, forever.

* * *

Minerva McGonagall was normally an early riser. She was a Head of house, after all, and it was her responsibility to keep an eye on her students. Professor McGonagall liked to keep on top of things, you see, and waking up early had never been more important than that morning. The night before she had witnessed the coupling of Master and Apprentice, of a teacher with a former student, of Professor Severus Snape- former Death Eater- and Hermione Granger- former know-it-all- and thus sleeping had been out of the question. She had stayed up all night thinking of different courses of action but after hours of profound reflection, she was none the wiser. So when the sun rose from the East, she decided that doing something was better than doing nothing at all and that a confrontation was in order. She was a Gryffindor, after all, and a bit of courage was all she needed.

She had no idea how she was going to go about it but after forty years of teaching she knew better than to doubt her instincts.

"A quick breakfast and then to the dungeons," she muttered to herself as she descended the stairs from Gryffindor Tower. However, when she reached the Entrance Hall she saw something that made her heart stop.

It was Hermione Granger but she wasn't walking to the library or making her way towards the Great Hall for breakfast. No, she was sprawled on the floor beside her trunk with her limbs resting at odd angles. Professor McGonagall was no fool and she knew at once that something had gone terribly wrong. Running as fast as she could for someone her age, she knelled next to the still warm body of her former student and checked for her pulse.

"_Enervate_," she said with confidence after making sure her heart and her lungs were working properly. But Hermione did not move.

"Oh dear," whispered Professor McGonagall caressing Hermione's cheek and noticing for the first time the grey shadows under her eyes, "_What_ happened after I left?"

Deciding at once that she could waste no more time, she pointed her wand at Hermione and at her trunk and whispered "_Locomotor_". Within seconds they were making their way towards the Hospital Wing and away from the prying eyes of the few students who would be coming down for an early breakfast in just a few minutes.

* * *

**A/N: **

**To the two people that still read this fic: I'M SORRY I TOOK SO LONG TO UPDATE! I still haven't corrected chapter 8 after getting the corrected drafts from my girls and chapter 9 took forever to write. I've been as busy as Percy with cauldron reports but that is no excuse. I'm sorry! **

**I do hope you liked chapter 9. It's a bit sad and a bit… strong… but very important plot wise. Many people have already guessed the meaning of the dream a few chapters back and it'll come back to haunt Severus in chapter 10 but for now I shall say no more. In the words of wise Fred, ask me no questions and I will tell you no lies. **

**BTW, I'm sure you've noticed but this chapter hasn't been beta read yet. I will upload "The Good Version" as soon as I get it from my girls. **

**I want to finish with this fic before the New Year so that probably means that I am going to write a lot more now. And just imagine the speed in which I will write if you review! Super fast, I guarantee! Please feel free to say whatever you like, getting reviews is my reason for writing…it would make me day!**

**Florence  
**

**  
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	10. Chapter 10

**Conquest Is Easy, Control Is Not** By Florence W. Snape

**Chapter 10: **

"Are you quite certain, then, Poppy?" asked Professor McGonagall behind the curtains that sheltered Hermione from prying eyes.

"I'm positive, Minerva. I can't believe it myself, to be perfectly honest. I mean, of all the students who ever attended Hogwarts…," Poppy whispered peeping through the curtains while slowly rubbing her chin, deep in thought.

"Foolish girl," said Professor McGonagall at once.

"I wonder who the father is…," the matron asked, intrigued. Professor McGonagall said nothing for she was positive who the father of Hermione Granger's child was and she wasn't planning on letting her gossipy colleague find out. She sighed, if only Poppy knew what she knew, if only she had heard what she heard... the truth felt heavy in Minerva's mind and she couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. After all, it had been she- her Head of House- the one to suggest an Apprenticeship in the castle, it had been she the one to persuade Hermione to go to Severus in the first place and, wasn't she responsible for every Gryffindor muggle-born witch's well-being? Shouldn't had she taught Hermione Granger the proper charms not to conceive a magical child when her mother obviously couldn't?

"I mean to say, she is such a clever girl and so level-headed. One would think that such a practical person could never forget about birth control," Poppy carried on, ignoring McGonagall's stony silence.

"Not as level-headed as I thought," she said absent-mindedly, "I would never have thought that he…,"

"What?" Madam Pomfrey asked, raising both of her eyebrows in surprise, "Do you know who the father of this child is, Minerva?"

Professor McGonagall took off her glasses, _Scrougify_-ed them and put them back on in complete silence. She had revealed too much. It was not her place to talk to anyone about Hermione Granger and Severus Snape's relationship, whatever the state of it was. In any case, she thought wearily, this just might be one of those few occasions in which the truth is much more far-fetched than anything she might possibly say.

"Well, do you?" Madam Pomfrey asked again, excited.

"No, I don't…. I was just thinking about Professor Snape. He should have taken better care of his apprentice," she answered lamely.

"Minerva, are you unwell? When has Severus ever cared about a student's well-being? Can you possibly imagine him teaching Miss Granger the proper wrist movement for the contraceptive charm? It's ridiculous," she said but then her eyes snapped open and she looked at Professor McGonagall with her mouth opened, "But, of course, Severus must know who the father is! She sleeps in the dungeons, doesn't she?"

"I think she does," replied Professor McGonagall. She swallowed but it was of no use: her mouth had gone dry. What could possibly be worse than Severus finding out about Miss Granger's condition through the school matron?

"Yes, I heard they even share the same Common Room. It was extremely nice of Severus to arrange that. He must really like her, not minding sharing his privacy with her…,"

"Yes, yes, it's all very well but I don't think you should ask Severus anything," Minerva said, looking down at Madam Pomfrey through her squared spectacles.

"And why ever not?" she asked, indignantly.

"Because…," she hesitated, "because it may risk Miss Granger's apprenticeship, that's why. Severus might not think it wise for her to continue under the circumstances,"

"And I don't blame him! It's very dangerous for a pregnant woman to be around experimental potions all the time! I have half a mind to tell him myself!"

"You mustn't, Poppy," Minerva whispered for Hermione Granger had tossed in her bed, "It is her choice. It is her life and she should deal with this situation in her own terms. Let's not make it more difficult,"

"Yes, I guess you _are_ right," whispered Madam Pomfrey, "She may not even want to continue with it now I think about it,"

"No. I don't think she will," she, again, distractedly said.

Madam Pomfrey raised her eyebrows again but controlled her urge to interrogate Minerva about it. The Transfiguration teacher obviously knew something she didn't but she wasn't going to tell her. No, she was going to have to find out in another way. Slowly clearing her throat, she said:

"Yes, yes, we'll know soon enough, I expect. Now Minerva, let's not disturb dear Miss Granger. I will let you know when she wakes up,"

* * *

Severus Snape hated the Great Hall. He hated the constant talking, he hated eating in front of the students who never passed on the opportunity to mock him and he hated the small talk his colleagues engaged him into. Yes, he hated the lot of them. In fact, the only person he had ever found remotely interesting was currently not in the Great Hall. To his knowledge, in fact, she was not even calling Hogwarts home anymore.

"All the better," he thought to himself while stabbing his eggs, "She's probably better off in Potter or Weasley's arms, force feeding them Chocolate Frogs,"

His jaw tensed and he instinctively flexed his biceps at the thought of Hermione in another man's arms. Counting to ten and breathing through his nose, however, he regained control of his emotions. It was a very powerful feeling being able to control his heart and his mind in the same way he had always had, Severus thought while spreading strawberry jam- _her_ favourite- on a crumpet. After all, fools who wear their hearts proudly on their sleeves, who cannot control their emotions, who wallow in sad memories and allow themselves to be provoked easily -weak people, in other words –stand no chance in the world.

He smirked at the recollection of his own words but then he remembered he had said them to Potter; Potter, Hermione's best friend who would miss no opportunity to bed her if she let him.

"One, two, three," he counted, breathing heavily through his nose again and trying very hard not to think about Potter's hands on Hermione's red bottom, "four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten," he chanted in whispers.

"Are you feeling alright, Severus?" Albus Dumbledore asked with a small grin on his face.

"Fine, Headmaster," he replied, taking a forkful of the eggs he had tried to murder seconds before.

"Why don't you try this fantastic black pudding?" he asked pushing a plate towards Severus who, reluctantly, took a sausage, "How is Hermione?"

And there it was again. Severus wondered, as he silently counted to 10 again, how the simple action of mentioning her name could affect him in such a way.

"She left early this morning, Headmaster," Severus said, "I am afraid to say that she felt that a Master in Potions was beneath her,"

"Did she?" Dumbledore said stroking his long beard, "How strange. I was under the impression that she was very much looking forward to taking over your post once she became a Potions Mistress. Pity," he said with a smirk, "you would have finally gotten that Defence Against the Dark Arts position you apply for every year with very little success, if I may add…,"

"As wonderful as the prospect of finally getting the job I've wanted for almost 20 years is," he said standing up, "Miss Granger's decision to leave this school was irrevocable. Now, if you'll excuse me, my Third Year Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs await me,"

And with that, he was gone.

"Minerva," Dumbledore addressed the woman on his right who looked remarkably red in the face, "you don't happen to know the reasons behind Miss Granger's sudden departure, do you?"

"I don't, Headmaster," she said at once, pursing her lips, "because Hermione Granger never left Hogwarts. She is in the Hospital Wing,"

"Is she unwell?"

"Not at the moment," she said looking up at him, "but she certainly won't be when she wakes up,"

"Is that so?" he whispered looking down at her through his half-moon spectacles.

"I think, Headmaster," she said with a sigh, "that we need to talk".

* * *

Madam Pomfrey could rarely be found in the dungeons. In fact, one seldom saw her outside of the Hospital Wing, her natural habitat. Severus had once run into her in Diagon Alley and had exchanged a short and polite conversation that had left him feeling very weird indeed: what could he possibly have in common with the School Matron? Whereas she cared about the well-being of students in general, smiled a great deal and enjoyed casual conversation with her colleagues, he didn't. She even seemed to like Harry Potter, someone who he disliked a great deal. So when he saw her leaning against the stone wall with her arms akimbo, he sensed that something awkward was going on.

"Severus," she said with a smile, "what took you so long?"

"I wasn't aware that we had arranged to meet, Poppy" he replied dryly, stopping in front of his office door.

"We weren't! But lunch ended half an hour ago! Whatever were you doing?"

Snape stared at her, in disbelief. Had he transcended into a parallel universe in which Madam Pomfrey cared about his whereabouts? He smirked at her, very much in the same way he does when a Second Year pulls a Longbottom and abysmally spoils a simple potion; a smirk that can even send Seven Year boys crying to their Common Rooms without supper.

"Research in the library," he said at last pointing at the heavy tome he was carrying in his left hand, "Not that it's of any business of yours,"

"Oh, I see," she cheerfully said.

At this Severus raised an eyebrow. This had to be the longest conversation they had ever had. Why had she come down to his office? It seemed improbable that she had just wanted to ask him about his afternoon routine.

"I was wondering," said Madam Pomfrey slowly and walking a few steps to where he was, "why you hadn't come down to the Hospital Wing,"

He had been expecting some sort of confrontation on the stress he induced in students or perhaps a lecture on his personal hygiene ("_Tooth brushes are important, you know")_ so her question caught him by surprise. He could count the times in which he had entered the Hospital Wing as a professor with the fingers on his left hand.

"And why would I want to be in that infested place?" he curiously asked, turning around to face her, all thoughts of entering his office and correcting essays forgotten.

"Oh," she answered with a grin, "I thought you knew that Hermione Granger had come down with… the flu,"

"Flu?" he asked, with incredulity. Could this be? Could Hermione still be at Hogwarts? Could she be ill? But she had seemed perfectly well the night before. She had been crying, and he had exhausted her physically but… the flu? It seemed most unlikely.

"Why, yes! Minerva found her just this morning and the poor girl wasn't feeling well at all! Very under the weather I would say! Her body temperature was very high indeed! But, Severus, hasn't Minerva informed you of this?" she eagerly asked, knowing perfectly well that Severus was about to reveal a juicy gossip.

"No, she hasn't," he whispered. In fact, his tone was so soft that Madam Pomfrey wasn't sure he had said anything at all.

One, two, three, four, five, six times Severus breathed through his nose in order not to snap at the school matron. Minerva knew and he hadn't told him! The nerve of that witch! He had seen her at breakfast that very morning and again in the halls leading to Dumbledore's office during break time and not once had she thought it appropriate to tell him that _his_ apprentice was in the Hospital Wing. With a pang he realized that she no longer was his apprentice. Perhaps she had overheard him telling Dumbledore about her resignation. Could perhaps this all be a misunderstanding? He, somehow, didn't think so.

"Hasn't she? I wonder why…," Madam Pomfrey said some time later, looking at Severus with eyes so wide that he briefly thought she was using _Leglimancy_ on him.

"I haven't the faintest idea why Professor McGonagall didn't see fit to inform me about this. Rest assured that I will speak to her as soon as possible," he said grinding his teeth and thinking a bit more about what all this meant.

"Well, aren't you coming?" Madam Pomfrey asked, offering him her arm.

"Where to?" he asked, paying attention to the woman's words for the first time since she had told him the news that Hermione was still at school.

"To the Hospital Wing, of course! Don't you want to see her, talk to her? Don't you want to reassure her that all of her projects will be taken care of while she's away?

"There's no need for that…," he said at once. He was about to confess that he had ended his professional relationship with her patient when he remembered that he was speaking to the nosiest witch in the school, and refrained from saying anything more.

"And why's that?" she asked, a few feet away from Severus now.

"…because I will come around later this evening, after supervising detentions. Is that alright with you?" he asked while thinking "_Alohamora_". At once and without waiting for an answer, he opened the door to his office, stepped inside and locked the door once again. He walked to his desk and banged the table with his fists.

The news about her health were unsettling. This morning he had thought that he had gotten rid of Hermione Granger forever and yet she was still there, just a few stairs up, coughing in the Hospital Wing and quite possibly sore from last night's events. He sat on his chair and rubbed his eyes. He was getting a migraine. He hadn't had one since Potter had left school.

Why would Minerva hide the truth from him? Had she done it deliberately? Could it possibly be because she had heard him at breakfast? But even then, Hermione had been working with _him, _even if _she_ had found her, he had a right to know. A stern voice in his mind, not unlike Professor McGonagall's, whispered that he no longer had a right to demand information; not after what he had done to her. Could she be ill_because_ of what he'd done? It seemed unlikely. He had bruised her and he had forced her to do something she wasn't comfortable with but Madam Pomfrey would have surely said something about it if he had been responsible for her frail condition.

Resting his back on his chair, he dropped his head backwards and started rubbing little circles on his temple. But then he stopped because rubbing circles reminded him of Hermione and the way she usually squirm when he caressed her down there. For a fraction of a second, he smiled a small smile but just as quick his usual stony expression reappeared. He had remembered that, sadly, he no longer had her.

Should he really keep his promise to Madam Pomfrey and go see her? Was she awake or was the flu too strong? In any case, it wouldn't do to go immediately after the detentions were over- she could be awake and that would lead to an extraordinary amount of awkward questions he felt no desire to answer. Plus, going extra late guaranteed the absence of Madam Pomfrey. Yes, he was going to visit her- after all, he was curious- and then leave. Soon enough she will be on her two feet again and away from this castle as he had planned. Yes, nothing's changed, he said to himself as he poured some of Ogden's finest into a glass with the Slytherin emblem.

If only.

* * *

Madam Pomfrey just couldn't sleep. Even though it was very late in the evening and it had been an extremely eventful day, she couldn't help but lay there on her bed, restless and with her eyes fully opened. She silently wondered while looking at the stone ceiling if Professor Snape had kept to his word and visited Hermione Granger in the Hospital Wing after all. There could be vital information she could find out if she just stopped thinking about the implications of spying on her colleague and just_did it_. After all, Madam Pomfrey thought, time spent wondering is time lost from gossiping.

As she put her fluffy slippers and night robe on, she felt a kind of adrenaline she hadn't felt in a while. It was the same kind of euphoria she had often felt when leading a teen Remus Lupin to the Shrinking Shack. It was the type of excitement that she could only connect with a good dessert and a big juicy secret.

There's nothing like a gossip rush to make you do things you wouldn't normally do and Madam Pomfrey was hooked. Tiptoeing towards the bed across from Hermione's, she pulled the curtains and hid behind the screen. A good Disillusionment Charm would do the trick and then… she would wait. She felt the familiar cool sensation that came with a powerful Disillusionment Charm. Deciding that she might as well sit while waiting for Severus to arrive, she walked to the bed and…

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," whispered the voice of an invisible Albus Dumbledore.

Madam Pomfrey screamed but when she did, no sounds came from her mouth. She gave Albus Dumbledore an invisible glare.

"Dear Madam Pomfrey," he said softly, "It wouldn't do to wake Miss Granger,"

"Honestly, Poppy," said the stern and reproving voice of an invisible Professor McGonagall, "I knew you took your gossip seriously but spying on Miss Granger?"

At this point Madam Pomfrey was clutching her chest and was gasping for air. Dumbledore thought it wise to stand and pat her a bit on her invisible back.

"Poppy, calm down," said Dumbledore, "Here. You can speak now but I beg you not to shout. Have a lemon drop,"

He gave handed her a very yellow lemon drop, which to the Muggle eye would appear to be floating in the air. She put it in her mouth with shaking hands and said, in voice so soft that Dumbledore had to bend his invisible knees so that his invisible ears could hear her better.

"How did you know...?" she started to say.

"Well, of course Dumbledore here knows _everything_," said Professor McGonagall, an invisible frown on her invisible forehead.

"No such thing," said Dumbledore humbly as he sat back on the bed in the middle of Minerva and Poppy, "I just get along rather well with the House Elves,"

"So you are waiting for Severus too?" she asked.

"Obviously," said Professor McGonagall with a temper, "The question is what on earth_you_ are doing here,"

"Pardon me, Minerva. But the last time I checked this was _my_ Hospital Wing and _I _was still in charge," she said with a glare.

"You are abusing your power just for the sake of gossiping," she said at once and before Poppy had time to interrupt her, she added, "Dumbledore, you do know that this means that we will have to inform her of the situation,"

"Clearly," he said, quite amused at the verbal confrontation the invisible women at either side of him were having, "but let's not ruin the surprise for her. Severus will be here in just a few moments. The House Elves alerted me at once when he finished with his evening detentions,"

No sooner had Dumbledore said the words, that the Potions Master silently opened the door of the Hospital Wing and crept inside. He quietly _Accio_-ed a chair and sat next to Hermione.

The Hospital Wing went completely silent. This didn't particularly strike Severus as suspicious but he looked around the room one more time just to make sure. Deciding it was best to stop being so paranoid- whoever heard of someone stalking the Hospital Wing at 2 AM?- he sat back and stared at Hermione's sleeping form. He sighed. Just this morning he had thought he was never going to see her again and yet here he was, like a lovesick boy, worried about the fate of the woman in front of him.

Even sick as she was- and Severus couldn't quite overlook the shadows under her eyes and her pale complexion- she was a lovely sight. Her curls were all over the white pillow and Severus had a sudden urge to caress her forehead. He fought that impulse at first but deciding that it was safe enough and that no one but himself would to know, he leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead.

She was burning. Frowning, he looked around. He was half expecting to see Madam Pomfrey storming out of her office and blaming the high temperature on his kiss. This wasn't right. Why wasn't she being watched for signs of improvement? What if she woke up and started coughing blood? A million scenarios flashed through his mind and he decided at once to check the chart resting on the night table.

"_Lumos_," he whispered and a small beam of light illuminated the parchment and part of the room. He scanned the paper quickly for any mention of the flu but found nothing suspicious in her general numbers. He turn to the next parchment, and then to the next one, and then the next one searching for something- anything- that could help him understand what was wrong with Hermione. For a fleeting moment the thought of a Hermione-less world crossed his mind but he dismissed it immediately- he wasn't sure he wanted to find out what he would do if she was seriously ill. His hands were shaking when he reached the last page and, with dread, he read the diagnosis.

"_The patient was brought in an unconscious state at 6:01 AM and appeared to present a severe case of the flu with a fever reaching 39ºC. She looked fatigued and exhausted. Several charms were used to give an accurate diagnosis. However, upon finding out that the patient is pregnant (3 weeks, healthy embryo), no potions were administered for the flu and she will remain under observation for the next few days or until her body temperature reaches normal values". _

His hands were still trembling but this time it had nothing to do with fear. It was a strange sensation, Severus thought while silently placing the chart on the night table and collapsing on the wooden chair again. It was like nothing he had felt before. It certainly wasn't anger and it wasn't panic, though at the moment he felt more scared that during the final battle. No, it was a different feeling altogether. It was as if the enormity of what he had read was slowly filling his heart and his throat and his stomach and his brain. Slowly the idea that Hermione Granger was pregnant with his child was sinking in. It was simply not possible, a voice inside his head kept whispering, _he_ had made the potion himself. _He_ had seen _her_ drink it religiously every night they had shared a bed.

So really there were only two logical explanations, he thought while breathing through his nose, desperately trying to regain control of the situation: either she had lied and hadn't drunk the potion- therefore, seeking this pregnancy- or he had made a mistake brewing the concoction. The latter was simply unthinkable. And yet, the idea of Hermione wanting_his_ child, seeking _his_ seed, was ridiculous. Surely, she wasn't so enamoured as to think that having a child would change things between them? No. Hermione Granger was many things but irrational wasn't one of them. There had to be another explanation, something he was missing.

While Severus' mind was working overtime, his heart was beating frantically. It kept reminding him with every beat that he was going to be a father. He was going to have a child. The images of a baby boy with black hair and of a baby girl with brown curls suddenly, but very clearly, appeared in his mind. He smiled. Perhaps the dream he had had a few weeks back hadn't been too far-fetched after all.

If she decided it to keep it, that is.

Quite suddenly he remembered what he had done the night before and felt sick with himself. The woman carrying his child had been subjected to the worst humiliation of her life by _him_. It had been he the one to fuck her almost against her will… it had been he the one to break her heart. For a moment he had fooled himself that a life of happiness was possible. Hadn't he proven that he wasn't a nice man? Hadn't he proven, time and time again, that he would probably end up being a poorer parent than his father? He closed his eyes as flashes of his unhappy childhood appeared in his mind.

"I'm sorry," he whispered at once, grabbing her hand, "I am very sorry, Hermione,"

"It's alright, Severus," she answered sleepily, then, tossing around, she carried on sleeping.

"I'm sorry that I will never know him," he whispered, "or her…,"

He smiled at those words, but it was a sad smile for he had seen yet again the picture of the happy family that would never be. She was bound to terminate the pregnancy after the way he had behaved and he had no right to demand anything from her.

He caressed her hand one last time and then placed it in her belly. Underneath his palm was a heart that was beating because of him. Gathering some of the same courage he had used when performing _Occlumency_ against Voldemort in his days as a spy, he stood up and left the Hospital Wing at once. He had no idea what he was going to do but staying with her wasn't an option. Why would she want him there, anyway, after what he had done? She was better off without him and he… well, he was better off not daydreaming about a life that he couldn't have.

Severus Snape was unaware, however, that three pair of eyes had witnessed the whole thing and that, inside each of their heads, a plan that would end with his misery forever was being hatched.

* * *

**PEOPLE! How can I thank you enough for your ABSOLUTELY AWESOME reviews? I still can't believe you took the time to let me know you enjoyed my fic! It meant the WORLD to me! **

**What? You haven't reviewed yet? Please do let me know what you think! Chapter 11 is on its way and I need all the input and encouragement I can get! Severus is SUCH a tormented soul but I promise that Albus, Minerva and Poppy's plan will give this fic (where clichés have abounded) an interesting twist. Let's keep our fingers crossed for our favourite couple! **

**Alas, chapter10 hasn't been beta-ed yet as you have probably guessed by now. I wanted to upload it ASAP. Plus, my betas are extremely busy at the moment and even though two of them have sent me the corrected versions of chapter 8 and 9, I still haven't uploaded them. One of my other betas hasn't had the time to check it yet and I really owe to her to wait. I reckon these last chapters have been readable, right? Is my English decent enough for you to make sense of the plot, despite the obvious grammar mistakes? feels unsure **

**Anyway, I'll see you around (hopefully soon!) in the next chapter! R&R! **

**Florence**


	11. Chapter 11

_And were an epitaph to be my story I'd have a short one ready for my own. I would have written of me on my stone**: I had a lover's quarrel with the world.**_

_Robert Frost. _

**Conquest Is Easy, Control Is Not**, by Florence W. Snape

**Chapter 11:**

The sunlight coming from the window was unusually strong when Hermione recovered consciousness and she briefly wondered why Severus had arranged for a window to be placed in her room. It was nice, she wasn't complaining. She just wondered what had made him do such an uncharacteristic thing. She smiled. She was getting under his skin, after all, if he was capable of such random acts of kindness. With her eyes closed still, she searched for his warm body beside her. Even though he would never admit it out loud, Hermione knew that he liked cuddling as much as she did.

But Severus' body wasn't there. Instead, Hermione found herself caressing the air next to the mattress. She frowned. That wasn't right_. Something_ wasn't right. Snapping her eyes open, she found herself staring at a white screen. Panicking slightly at the realization that she was in fact in the Hospital Wing, she sat upright and called for Madam Pomfrey. Her voice was hoarse, as if she hadn't used it in a while, so no one came to her rescue.

She tried standing up but the slight pain in her bum made her uncomfortable. Slapping her forehead as she visually searched for her wand, the reason behind why she was there hit her at once: she had probably lost consciousness after that awful confrontation she had had with Snape. Snape who had forced himself on her and who had broken her heart; Snape, who had destroyed the only thing that tied her to him- the contract- and who had dismissed her as soon as she had become and inconvenience; Snape, the man she knew she loved but also the man she longed to hate.

And yet she knew that despite what he had done, she couldn't. The sudden urge to cry suddenly hit her and she did, quite hysterically. So loud was her bawling that it achieved what her voice alone hadn't: to summon Madam Pomfrey.

"Miss Granger!" the matron said at once, pulling the curtains of her screen apart, "what is wrong? Does your stomach hurt?"

"N-n-nno," Hermione tried to say, "I don't know why I'm crying like this. What am I doing here? What's wrong with me?"

The matron X-rayed her through her reading spectacles. After a while, she smiled and the warmth of that gesture made Hermione break down again.

"No, please, do calm down, Miss Granger. _Accio Relaxing Potion!_," Madam Pomfrey said, alarmed, "Drink this at once. If you want to hear why you are here, you better relax,"

After taking small breaths and wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her nightgown, she drank the potion. It smelled of sandalwood and tasted bitter.

"Just like Severus," she thought. A small smile spread on her lips but she was positive it was an effect of the potion. She had no reason to be happy, especially no reasons that could be related to Severus Snape.

"I see you are feeling better now," Madam Pomfrey said after a minute or so, "Your body temperature is down and you look healthier than you did yesterday. Have you been recently feeling any desire to throw up at all?"

"No," Hermione replied, "Everything's been fine"

"So….no nausea at all?" the matron continued.

"No," Hermione replied. Then, thinking about it, she added, "Last week I felt a bit sick around mid-morning. I was brewing a Confusing & Befuddlement Draught at the time so I just assumed that I had inhaled a bit of sneezewort powder. It was nothing, really…I don't know why I'm even mentioning it,"

Madam Pomfrey scratched her nose. She had a habit of doing so when under a considerable amount of stress. She had scratched her nose raw when all those Muggleborns had been petrified back in Hermione's second year and had to resort to powerful ointments during the nerve-racking months of the war. Had Hermione known about this, she wouldn't have been so taken aback by Madam Pomfrey's next question.

"Miss Granger, tell me, are you sexually active?"

Hermione went red. She really was lucky Madam Pomfrey had given her a Calming Draught; she would have freaked out otherwise.

"Is this relevant to my diagnosis?"

"No, it's not," Madam Pomfrey said while violently scratching her nose, "I'm afraid that the diagnosis has already been made,"

"Is it serious?" Hermione asked, worried.

"No, it's not serious, not in the traditional sense of the word," the matron said, "but it'll surely be a complication,"

"What is it, Madam Pomfrey?" Hermione anxiously enquired, grabbing her pillow and putting it between her thighs; that had always soothed her somehow.

"Miss Granger, you collapsed on the stairs because you were weak and lacked potassium,"

Potassium? That was it? That was the reason Madam Pomfrey looked so sombre; lack of potassium? Relieved, Hermione felt like smiling.

"Yes! I haven't been eating enough, have I? I should have eaten more bananas! But I can take potassium orally, can't I?"

"You must. Potassium is very important when…," said Madam Pomfrey and scratching her nose with both hands, added, "…you are pregnant,"

Poppy Pomfrey had expected sobs, threats to her life, a parchment full of questions and a request for an Abortive Potion but certainly not a maniacal laugh.

"That's impossible!" said Hermione laughing so hard she grabbed her stomach, "It's out of the question, Madam Pomfrey!"

"Why is that, my child?" she asked, her arms akimbo.

"Because I've taken the necessary precautions," she said, still laughing, "I am on the Potion,"

"The Potion is not always 100 efficient, you know," said Madam Pomfrey, "if the ingredients aren't fresh enough or they aren't added at the right time, there is always a possibility of contamination…,"

Wiping her tears, Hermione replied, "I would trust that Contraceptive Potion with my life. Professor Snape brewed it himself. I was in charge of supervising it as a special project,"

"You must have made a mistake, then," said Madam Pomfrey, "because you are definitely pregnant. I understand that the implications of what you have just heard are difficult to assimilate…,"

"There's nothing to assimilate because I'm not pregnant. Professor Snape…," Hermione started to say.

"…is only human," Madam Pomfrey said, "He, too, can make mistakes,"

Hermione went silent after that. She knew all too well that Severus Snape was capable of mistakes. But still, pregnant? Hermione didn't think it made any sense at all.

"Do you want me to perform the charm again?" Madam Pomfrey asked after a while.

Hermione nodded but didn't look at her in the eye. She felt ashamed, stupid and confused. If she had to be perfectly honest with herself, she just wanted to be left alone. But in order to believe, she needed proof.

"_Conceptus__Mater,"_

At once, a blue ribbon shot out of Madam Pomfrey's wand. Hermione looked at Madam Pomfrey for a confirmation. When she nodded, Hermione instinctively touched her stomach. The idea of having a baby was too big- too far-fetched- for her to assimilate right away.

"What am I going to do?" she asked, more to herself, than to Madam Pomfrey.

The nosy witch saw it in herself to respond anyway, "You are going to rest here for a couple of days. Your health should be your top priority right now. I am sure Professor Snape will see it in his heart to…,"

"Professor Snape has no heart," Hermione coldly said, "and I am no longer his apprentice. How long have I been out?"

Madam Pomfrey frowned. It was very out-of-character for Hermione Granger to be so rude. She rubbed her nose absent-mindedly and reminded herself that she ought to give her a break: finding out you are pregnant with an unwanted child cannot be easy.

"Two days," she said, and then added in spite of herself, "I wouldn't entirely call Professor Snape heartless, you know,"

"You couldn't possibly understand…," Hermione started to say, but was yet again, interrupted.

"Oh, I understand, Miss Granger" said Madam Pomfrey putting some ointment on her raw nose, "Professor Snape came to see you the other night while you were unconscious. He knows,"

Hermione's throat felt oddly constricted, as if she had a Bezoar stuck in her oesophagus. She distractedly rubbed her chest, trying- in vane- to ease the pain. _He knows. He knows. He knows. He knows. He knows. He knows. _He _knows. He _knowsMadam Pomfrey's voice sounded so odd and after a while of repeating her words in her head, Hermione found that they stopped making sense.

"Did he say anything?" she asked, "…about my apprenticeship, I mean,"

"I didn't speak to him directly," said Madam Pomfrey, "you should use this time, however, to think very hard about your options,"

Hermione nodded but she wasn't really paying attention to Madam Pomfrey's words. Her right hand was on her belly still and she started to rub it. She was pregnant with Severus' baby. What were her options, really? Would she have it in her heart to have an abortion or to give_it_ up for adoption? Her heart broke a little just thinking about the idea of a raven-haired boy of about 4 crying for her, his mother. Still, was going through with the pregnancy really an option for her? Severus had sacked her, she still had a lot to go before having a Master in Potions and would she even have the time or the energy to raise a child and finish her schooling? It all seemed very complicated so she was grateful when Madam Pomfrey handed her a gobletfull of what she recognized as a Dreamless Potion.

"Drink this, Miss Granger. I understand that you are worried about your future. Any sensible woman in your situation would but you must remember that regardless of who the father is, you are definitely the mother. Whatever your decision, you must seek within your heart and make a choice between what is right and what is easy,"

Hermione sighed. Madam Pomfrey was right. She needed to speak to Severus right away… if only she didn't feel so utterly tired. With her hand still on her stomach, Hermione Granger closed her eyes and slept.

* * *

"I think you made a mistake," said Professor McGonagall later that morning sitting on a chair beside Hermione's bed. The girl was still profoundly asleep but the three people gathered around her were definitely not.

"You didn't see her face when I mentioned that Severus had come to visit her…," Madam Pomfrey started to say.

"You shouldn't have told her that! But then again you never did know when to keep your mouth closed," Minerva whispered, frowning.

"You are so spiteful, Minerva. Whatever did I do to you?" the matron asked, wounded.

"You always meddle in other people's businesses. It's not up to us what Miss Granger and Professor Snape are going to do about this whole thing,"

"But I thought that last night we had all agreed to…," the matron whispered, scarlet in the face.

"Yes, we agreed that we would give them a nudge but there's a difference between that and what you did. If Severus finds out we were here…,"

"How could he possibly find out?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

"Oh, please," said Professor McGonagall standing up, "I am sure that when Hermione finally confronts Severus about this whole mess, his visit will come up,"

"That's right," said Albus Dumbledore unexpectedly, "we must give them space to confront each other. We must force them to…,"

"Headmaster, I thought he had agreed that even though a nudge was necessary…," Professor McGonagall started to say. The twinkle in Albus Dumbledore's eyes, however, made her stop. She was used to that twinkle all to well but was all the more alarmed because of it: nothing good ever came out of Albus Dumbledore's romantic schemes.

"Minerva, it is imperative for them to reunite in a romantic place; a place that they cannot leave until they've resolved their differences. But, where?" he asked staring at the ceiling. Had he been watching the reactions of the two witches around him, he would have found them amusing: whereas Madam Pomfrey's smile suggested that she was all for it, Professor McGonagall was looking daggers at the both of them.

"Albus, I am afraid this is the most ridiculous idea I have ever heard," said Professor McGonagall at last.

Dumbledore curiously looked at her. Professor McGonagall found her Gryffindor courage and some of her old Scottish pride and continued:

"Hermione is very vulnerable. Locking them up in a classroom or wherever you are planning on sending them is simply ridiculous. What if she has a nervous breakdown? What if he reacts violently to what she has to say? Not to mention that neither of them will appreciate being forced to face each other…,"

"My dear Professor McGonagall, you are absolutely right!" said Albus Dumbledore standing up. He was now pacing the small space between Hermione's bed and the one next to her, "it mustn't look like we are forcing them at all! How brilliant! I think that that can be arranged simply enough. Their wands must be confiscated, of course. I wouldn't put it past Miss Granger to hex Severus to an inch of his life now that she's pregnant. But we also should be able to see what's going on. How are we to know when to release them? Not to mention that if something happens to go wrong- like Miss Granger having a nervous breakdown, like you mentioned- we ought to be able to act immediately…,"

"Albus," said Professor McGonagall looking rather alarmed, "there is no way we can kidnap Hermione Granger and Severus Snape, take away their wands and violate their privacy without facing a life-long sentence in Azkaban. The Wizengamot will have our heads for agreeing to this, Poppy," she said, looking at Madam Pomfrey now.

"Well, I must admit that Albus idea is a little bit extreme…,"

"We agree, then," said Professor McGonagall speaking over her colleague, "that your plan, though good-natured, is illegal and…,"

"Minerva…," Dumbledore said very patiently, "I am Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. I assure you nothing is going to happen you,"

"But Albus…,"

"Severus and Hermione will be so delighted we helped," said Professor Dumbledore, ignoring his colleagues, "that they will name us honorary grandparents. Imagine the possibilities, Minerva, of having grandkids to spoil! I've said for quite a while that Hogwarts would be a much cheerful place if there were more babies…,"

Dumbledore went on with his speech about babies for a couple more minutes but Minerva had stopped listening at "grandparents". She had to admit that it would be fantastic to see Severus as happy as he had been the last few weeks. And having grandkids to take to Quidditch games and to read stories would be extraordinary! She could picture the scenarios so clearly in her mind's eye that, for once, failed to notice Madam Pomfrey's annoying nose-scratching habit. She knew that what they were about to do was probably very dangerous and that there were lots of things to think about before actually going through with it… but she couldn't help but feel excited it about it. Damn Albus! He had touched a nerve there. Grandkids!

* * *

Severus had avoided meals in the Great Hall and Staff Meetings for two days now. He had also gone out of his way to avoid being near the Hospital Wing- just in case they allowed her time to stretch her legs- and had deliberately ran away from Poppy Pomfrey and Minerva McGonagall every time each of them had tried to engage him in conversation. On the whole, one could say that he had become even more isolated than before and, if he had to be honest with himself, he liked that; it gave him a sense of control over things he had no control on. He had decided late that night down in the dungeons that the best thing he could do for his child and for Hermione would be to flee, but that would raise too many suspicions and the least he wanted was to be under Dumbledore's watchful eye. So for the next couple of days he did the best next thing: he made himself invisible. But tonight that isolation would end and he needed to make a decision before knocking on Dumbledore's door: he needed to either make up a convincing story about knowing nothing about Hermione's pregnancy or confess it all.

He still hadn't come up with an answer as he climbed the spiral staircase but hadn't his cunning ability to lie under pressure given them vital information during the war? He felt confident he could outsmart Dumbledore who, despite being a powerful wizard, knew very little about Slytherin subtlety.

"Do come in, Severus," said Dumbledore with a smile, "I've been waiting for you,"

Severus nodded but said nothing as he sat opposite Dumbledore. The older wizard was wearing his usual nightshirt and nightcap in matching shades of blue that matched his twinkling blue eyes. He was also, oddly, slowly shaking what appeared to be an old muggle snow globe with a little cottage inside. He had been inside this office many times but he had never seen such an object here before, amongst the many magical gadgets. Clearing his throat, he decided it was probably one more of Dumbledore's eccentricities and left it at that.

"You are probably wondering why I have called you here tonight," Dumbledore softly said, carefully placing the snow globe on his desk.

"Indeed, Headmaster," was Severus only reply.

"I feel it is my duty to tell you the truth regarding Miss Granger's sudden resignation," he said with a sad sigh, "you see, it had nothing to do with Potions, Severus, as you implied the other day at breakfast,"

"Wasn't it, Headmaster?" Severus asked, meeting Dumbledore's gaze.

"No, no, I am afraid it is a rather personal matter. One that I am not sure we should talk about lightly," he said gravely.

"I understand, Headmaster," Severus said with a tone of resignation in his voice. He was the best actor. He needed to be, for Hermione's sake.

"Nevertheless, she was your apprentice and I feel that you have a right to know. Poppy informed me two days ago that the Conception Charm was positive. She is pregnant,"

At this Severus faked surprise. Raising his left eyebrow slightly, he dared ask the question: "Do you know who the father is?"

Dumbledore sat back on his big Headmaster chair and let the tips of his fingers touch before giving him an answer.

"That is the matter I wanted to discuss with you the most, Severus," he finally said.

Severus swallowed. Could it be? Could it be that Hermione had confessed everything? How he had seduced her with inappropriate gifts, how they had interacted in an unprofessional manner, how he had forced himself on her? If she had, he couldn't blame her.

"I did not want to ask you such a personal question where others could overhear us which is why you are sitting in front of me right now. Tell me, my boy, have you noticed anything strange about Miss Granger? Has she gone out for long periods of time? Has she been upset?"

"Not that I recall, Headmaster," Severus said, frowning. What did that mean? Was Hermione unwell still? "I am afraid that Miss Granger's personal life is of little concern to me. I noticed nothing suspicious about Miss Granger's behavior,"

"I hardly think you are being honest, Severus," Dumbledore said, "After all, you have lived in very close quarters with Miss Granger for a considerable period of time. Are you telling me that her state of mind and body doesn't concern you in the least?"

"That is exactly what I'm saying, Headmaster," Severus said, avoiding Dumbledore's eyes this time and focusing, instead, on the snow globe on the table.

"I see," Dumbledore sadly said, "Miss Granger is unwell, still,"

At this, Severus swallowed hard. Turning his head so that he could look straight into Dumbledore's eyes, he asked, "Is there something with the foetus?"

"Foetus, Severus? I've always been concerned about your ability to detach yourself from your feelings…,"

"That child means nothing to me. As does Miss Granger,"

"I find that hard to believe. Why the sudden apprehension, then, regarding their health? Let me put your mind at ease; Miss Granger's child is perfectly alright as is she, for that matter,"

"You implied that she was still unrecovered from…," he said but was interrupted by his own guilt. It had been his abusive behaviour which had landed her in the Hospital Wing to begin with.

"She is physically fit to leave Hogwarts, Severus. Her mental health, however, leaves much to be desired. Minerva has a theory about a rogue Death Eater seducing Miss Granger into his bed. That would explain her long periods of silent meditation, her unwillingness to tell us any information on how her state came about and her refusal to eat,"

"If she detests her unborn that much, I am sure Poppy will see it in her heart to provide Miss Granger with an Abortive Potion,"

"I've gathered, from what Poppy has told me, that Miss Granger plans to keep her son,"

"A son?" Severus said, his heart beating entirely too fast.

"It is too soon to know yet, of course, but Madam Pomfrey has yet failed to be wrong about her hunches,"

"Is Poppy providing Hermione with the proper vitamins? I have a few phials in my private stores that I would be only too willing to …"

"Is it Hermione now?" Dumbledore asked with a wise small on his face, "I am afraid, though wonderful as your potions usually are, that Miss Granger isn't lacking on that department. She is, as Muggles would say, somewhat depressed. I am most sure that the reason behind her odd behaviour has a lot to do with the identity of the father of her child. You have a chance to help her, Severus?"

"My links to Miss Granger have been severed," he said standing up, "I cannot see what good I could do to her now,"

"Could you speak to her, at least?"

"I'll make a note of dropping by whenever I'm not busy," Severus said as he walked to the door.

"Are you busy now?" the Headmaster asked, standing up himself with the snow globe on his left hand-

Severus sighed. Dumbledore wasn't making it easy. What was he after? Severus could smell the intrigue behind the man's interrogation. Still, what could he possibly do besides manipulating him into visiting Miss Granger?

"I will speak to Miss Granger as soon as possible," he finally said with his right hand on the doorknob.

"I'll hold you to your word, Severus," Dumbledore said and raising his wand with his right hand he shouted, "_Expelliarmus_,"

"Dumbledore…," Severus shouted as he collapsed to the floor, "What is the meaning of this?"

"You promised," the old man said with a knowing smile, "Catch"

It was when Severus touched the snow globe with the tip of his fingers that he understood that he had underestimated Dumbledore's ability for coercion, after all.

* * *

**A/N: I know. You hate me. I promised to finish this story before the new year and instead you haven't heard from me since. In my defence I've been away on holidays and busy with school …and it all made writing down chapter 11 ( AKA The Most Boring Chapter I've Ever Written) a bit harder. But here I am now! And I hope you see where this is going… Chapter 12 is going to ROCK YOUR SOCKS. I think the story will be finished in 15 chapters, give or take, so stay tunned for updates. **

**And, of course, review! You'll make my day and inspire me to write what happens next …did you guess it? The snow globe was a Portkey! **


	12. Chapter 12

_Love is being stronger than fear._

**Conquest Is Easy, Control Is Not,** by FlorenceW. Snape.

**Chapter**** 12: **

It was a Portkey. He had known it from the start. But a Portkey to where? What was Dumbledore up to? His back ached from the Headmaster's sudden attack; an attack that had left him wandless. Not since the war had he felt so amazingly powerless. A wizard without a wand was but a simple Muggle. It was of the outmost importance that he kept his wits about him. The first thing to do was to assess the place in which he had landed. Everything was dark except for the gentle moonlight coming from the small window at his right. From his position he could only assume it was a small cottage- there was a small wooden table and two small wooden chairs nearby and an old-fashioned oven was resting on the opposite wall. The rest of the place was covered in darkness and he wondered briefly how he was going to procure light.

Still, why had Dumbledore sent him here? What did he want him to understand? Why would he trap him without his wand? At this point Severus was certain of nothing but of one thing: Dumbledore didn't want him to escape. Why, though?

So immerse was Severus on the madness behind Dumbledore's brilliant mind that he failed to hear a whisper.

"Is there anybody there?" Hermione asked, scared. She too had woken up in this strange place and without her wand, "Madam Pomfrey is that you?"

"Miss Granger?" he inquired. He was obviously going insane; Miss Granger couldn't be here, could she?

"Snape?" she asked; her voice hoarse.

And then, Snape understood. So this was Dumbledore's plan: to trap him with Hermione and force him to see the error of his ways. He smiled bitterly. If that's what he wanted, he had another thing coming. Didn't Dumbledore know him at all? Didn't Dumbledore understand that he was a man who cherished his privacy above all? What had possessed the old man to become a matchmaker? Who was Dumbledore to twist his fate? Hermione had been fun, a fling, but nothing more. The fact that she was with child was irrelevant: she was better off without him. Dumbledore should know better: it was on his orders that he had spied, tortured and murdered. He wasn't fit to be the head of a family and especially not Hermione Granger's family.

"Yes, Miss Granger. It is me," he said standing up. "Now be a good girl and be quiet while I try to find a way to escape this place,"

It was Hermione's time to smile bitterly.

"This place in unplottable, Snape," she said while staring at the wooden ceiling, "I was sent here to rest, apparently. There's a note from Madam Pomfrey on the table, if you wish to read it,"

Severus touched his way to the table like a blind man and grabbed the parchment roughly. Walking to the window, he read:

_Miss Granger, _

_It is in your best interest, and the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall agree with me, that you rest in this cabin for the next couple of days. We feel that with the Quidditch season at its bloodiest, you would feel more comfortable in a place that isn't crowded with sweaty and hormonal teenagers. _

_Meals will be delivered magically to you at 8 O'clock, 12 O'clock and 8 O'clock. Heating charms will be applied to every meal so you needn't worry about consuming them right away. The cupboards beside the oven have been stocked with healthy food as well. I strongly- _and strongly was underlined_- recommend you take great care of your body, Miss Granger. It is in the best interest of you and your baby that you do so. _

_If you need to contact me, the mirror on the wall has been charmed to work much in the same way as Muggle telephones do: just say my name and I will answer any questions you may have. _

_Use this time wisely, Miss Granger, _

_Yours, _

_Madam Poppy Pomfrey. _

Severus couldn't believe his eyes. So Poppy and Minerva were in it as well? Had they all gone insane? He felt anger like he hadn't felt in years and he let some of the frustration out by crumpling the parchment up.

"Why are you here?" he heard her say from the bed.

"I had no choice in the matter, Miss Granger, believe me. The Headmaster attacked me and sent me here against my will. Rest assured that once I get out of here, I will personally take my case against the Wizengamot and the Minister of Magic himself, if necessary"

Hermione turned her head to her right and saw his outline for the first time. He was resting both of his palms on the wooden table now. Hermione had never seen him look so defeated- except perhaps that night in his office when he had left her.

"I see," she simply said, staring at the ceiling again. She felt like crying all of a sudden. How could her heart be so traitorous to her mind? Why did it insist on beating hard whenever he was around? She took a deep breath and then another and then another until he interrupted her.

"Why are you so calm, Miss Granger? Doesn't it upset you that we are prisoners here, that you have no wand?"

"I cannot afford to get upset right now," was all she said.

"And why is that?" he asked, knowing her answer already. Would she dare tell him?

"You know why," she stated as plainly as she could.

"I do," he said, "Foolish girl. What hope is there for you to become a Potions Mistress if you cannot even complete a Contraceptive Potion successfully?"

Hermione breathed through her nose one, two, three times until she regain enough composure to talk logically.

"The potion was in perfect condition. You should know. You brewed the base of the potion. I only supervised the last part and I remember you giving me full marks for it,"

"I did no such thing," he said, fisting his robes, "Regardless, even if the potion was indeed perfect, for it to work it needs to be taken every morning on an empty stomach. I would have expected you to remember that much at least, considering it was your future you were jeopardizing. You wouldn't be so unbelievably stupid as to assume I would marry you and raise a family with you, would you?"

"Of course I didn't do this on purpose!," she said, sitting on her bed, tears fogging her sight, "You don't really believe that, do you?"

He said nothing; instead he walked to the wall and switched the lights on.

"It seems we have been condemned to living like Muggles for the time being," Severus said, his back to her still, "I suggest you rest, Miss Granger. Tomorrow we will find a way to escape this place and you will need your wits about you,"

After a couple of minutes of strained silence, Severus heard the unmistakable noise of the sheets being moved and he knew it was safe for him to move about. Switching the lights off, he sat on one of the chairs and rubbed his temples. This was torture. Whoever thought the Dark Lord was merciless had never met Albus Dumbledore.

"There's a third option," she said before falling asleep, "One of the ingredients could have been contaminated,"

"Impossible, I used the same ingredients on several other potions and all of them are in perfect condition,"

"So was my potion while I was taking it," she said, sniffing, "perhaps the contamination process just takes longer to make itself visible,"

"Perhaps," he admitted reluctantly. If that were the case, he had no one to blame but himself, "Sleep now. Goodnight,"

"Yes. Goodnight," was all she said before falling asleep.

Hermione woke up to the smell of eggs and bacon. She smiled; bacon and eggs sandwiches had always been her favourite for breakfast. Immediately, however, she felt nauseous. Opening her eyes wide, she caught a fleeting glimpse of Severus munching on some toasts before running to the bathroom with both her hands covering her mouth.

Resting her weight on the sink she looked at herself in the mirror. She looked atrocious. She didn't even look like herself anymore: her eyes were puffy, her skin looked as pale as Severus' and she looked remarkably thin. This couldn't be healthy. Nauseous still, she was glad when Severus opened the door and passed her a potion to relieve her stomach.

"Drink it right away, you should feel better immediately"

Sitting on the edge of the bathtub, she tilted her head back and drank the contents completely. She felt better straight away, like she knew she would. With all the dignity she had left, she walked to the sink and brushed her teeth, combed her hair and washed her face. She still thought she looked hideous but at least not as gross.

"I trust you are feeling better?" Severus asked from one of the chairs. The cottage was remarkably warm and she noticed right away that he had lighted a fire while she had been in the bathroom.

"Yes, thank you. Where did you get the potion anyway?" she asked sitting on queen sized bed again.

"It seems this cottage has been enchanted to provide for your medical needs, Miss Granger. Albus Dumbledore is certainly manipulative but not so reckless as to neglect your obvious need for medicines,"

Hermione said nothing, just stared at her flippers.

"May I ask how you were brought here?" he inquired, taking a zip from his morning tea and gesturing for her to sit opposite him.

Crossing her legs exactly and not moving one inch, she said "I was told I would be moved to a safer location within Hogwarts. They transported me while I was still unconscious, though, so I have no idea how to get out,"

"Weren't you worried about your lack of a wand?" he asked, raising his eyebrow. How stupid and trusting could she be?

"Of course I was. I am. But Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall want the best for me…and for my child. Not to mention Madam Pomfrey is available to me at all times. I can hardly complain when they have been so kind to me,"

"But you should, Miss Granger. You should be as angry as I am about this situation. They have taken away your wand, they have taken away your freedom and yet you sit there… completely oblivious to your predicament, grateful to the very people you should be angry with. I thought you were more intelligent that this. I am extremely disappointed,"

Hermione, again, said nothing. She could feel her blood boil, her heart pump faster, her breathing become more agitated… but she was going to be a mother now. She had to control her temper and look after her health, no longer for herself but for their baby. _Their_ baby, she repeated to herself. No, it was _her_ baby. Turning her head towards the window she said, "It is cold outside,"

"It will always be cold if I am right about where we are,"

"What do you mean?" she asked, curious.

"I believe we are trapped inside a snow globe, Miss Granger. Outside, we are being watched by none other than Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall and Poppy Pomfrey, the retirement-age Golden Trio,"

Hermione tried hard not to giggle.

"It makes sense," Hermione said after a while, standing up and walking to the window she had been looking through, "they can keep an eye on us in case anything goes wrong. Though I don't see how, since we haven't got our wands,"

"There's no need to have a wand to harm people, Miss Granger. You, of all people, should know that," he glared at her.

"I do, Professor Snape," she said, not meeting his gaze, "I do,"

"I know you feel better but you should try contacting Poppy," Severus said, "not only for the sake of your baby but also to find out more about our situation,"

Hermione nodded. If he thought she wanted to stay here with him, he was seriously mistaken.

"Madam Pomfrey," Hermione whispered to the enchanted mirror, "Are you there?"

After a couple of minutes of strained silence in which Hermione felt the weight of being under Severus Snape's scrutiny, came an answer.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" said the reflection of Madam Pomfrey, "Are you alright?"

Shoving Hermione aside- but not too roughly, she was pregnant after all- Severus took charge of the conversation.

"Poppy, where is Albus? Where are we? Why have you trapped us here without our wands? If you are an accomplice, the Wizengamot will have your head too," Severus said severely, "Confess now and I shall spare you when I take my case to court,"

He expected Poppy Pomfrey to start scratching her nose with both hands, but instead she just smiled back.

"I am afraid I can't do that, Severus. There is nothing to confess, really. Miss Granger needed a better place to rest and… are you well-rested, my dear?"

"I am, Madam Pomfrey," Hermione said, elbowing Severus to step aside, "Thank you so much. But I feel I would be more relaxed if I were alone. Why is Professor Snape here?"

"Miss Granger, a woman in your fragile condition can hardly be expected to take care of herself alone…," Madam Pomfrey tried to explain. However, her speech was cut short by Severus.

"Poppy, I am here against my will. This is kidnap,"

"I hardly think that assisting the mother of your child would be considered kidnap, Severus," Poppy answered, raising her eyebrow.

Severus turned to Hermione at once, "Miss Granger, are you so proud to carry my child that you need to speak to the whole school about it?"

Again, Hermione felt her blood boil but this time she didn't do a single thing to control herself.

"I never spoke to Madam Pomfrey about it, Snape," she spat, "Who would be proud to carry the son of a Death Eater, the child of the greasy bat of the dungeons? Did you know that the students call you all sorts of names at the school? No one in their right mind would be proud to have you as the father of their child!" she yelled, her hands in fists, her lips shut tightly, her hair a mess.

Severus was stunned. She had said out loud what he had thought of himself all along: that his past made him unfit as a father and that no child of his would ever be proud to carry his name. His lip curled into a small smile at the sight of Hermione's rosy cheeks. She really did look beautiful when she was angry.

"You heard Miss Granger, Poppy," Severus said, staring at Hermione, "I expect an explanation from Professor Dumbledore as soon as possible,"

"I will do what I can, Severus," Poppy said scratching her nose, "Do take care of Miss Granger,"

Just as Severus nodded, Madam Pomfrey's reflection disappeared.

"Severus…," Hermione started to say, "I didn't…"

"Spare me, Miss Granger," he said walking to the door, "Soon enough you will be away from here and you won't have to endure my presence,"

And in a swirl of robes, he opened the door and left.

It was around 8 O'clock when he returned, blue with cold and trembling from head to toe. He was struggling with the Muggle way of life Albus Dumbledore had imposed him, but Hermione knew he would never admit it out loud. She knew he was a half-blood so he wasn't completely helpless but twenty years with the aid of magic had rubbed off on him and he was find it hard to adjust.

Not meeting his gaze, Hermione kept nibbling on the food which had appeared only five minutes before. He didn't have to struggle, not really. He could just stay inside the cottage with her, cuddling near the fire, drinking tea and eating biscuits but she knew he would rather cut off his wand hand than spend more time around her than was strictly necessary. Hadn't he made that clear the night he had all but raped her; the night he had destroyed the contract?

She still didn't look up when he sat down in front of her. The light of the fire was the only source of brightness. Sitting there, helpless and in silence, she felt slightly sad. She remembered this feeling well: before attending Hogwarts she had felt like this often enough. Every Sunday she would climb into bed and think about the mocking that awaited her for being different and a special kind of sadness always seemed to invade her. Why was she feeling like this now?

Looking up at Severus, she noticed that the small amount of light coming from the fireplace softened his features. He looked a bit pathetic, sitting across from her and carefully cutting his food into small but equal pieces. He looked smaller, somehow, as if her words had deflated him. Maybe she had but she wasn't done yet. He needed to know.

"Look at me," she said, both her hands resting on the table, "Look at me, please, Severus,"

Raising one eyebrow, he wiped his mouth and looked up.

"It's alright if you don't want anything to do with this but I want you to know that I'm keeping it," she said with resolution, "It was wrong of me to take it out on you this morning. I shouldn't have. It is, partly, my mistake and if you want nothing to do with us I will understand. After all, there is no love here, is it? I cannot imagine what it would be like raising a child with someone who hates the sight of us. So I'm sorry for my behaviour but you must understand that this hadn't been very easy for me,"

Severus said nothing; he just sat there and stared at her for the longest time. But Hermione didn't pay attention to him. She felt very calm, calmer than she had felt since finding out she was carrying Severus' baby and she wasn't going to let him spoil it. She had said what she wanted to say and now she was at peace with herself. It felt oddly liberating to let him know how she felt. Sighting, she brought the forkful of lamb to her mouth and ate.

"It is unpleasant," he said at last, "being an unwanted child,"

"I'm sorry?" she asked, obviously having misheard him.

"You said you didn't know what it would be like raising a child with someone who hates the very sight of you. Well, it is rather unpleasant," he said, scowling.

"I imagine so…," she started to say.

"I am not saying this to state the obvious," he interrupted her, "You are making the right choice. I often found myself thinking, when I was a child, of the reasons behind my mother's inaction. Surely she couldn't love my father so much as to endure his abuse, day in and day out. Surely she couldn't love my father so much as to ignore the way he always looked at me, with disgust. You are making the right choice, Hermione. You may not think so now but in the future you will look back and you will remember this very moment as the best choice you've ever made,"

Why was he telling her this now? Hadn't she told him that they expected nothing from him; hadn't she freed him from all future responsibility? His reassurance that he would make a hideous father only made her feel worse. Surely she had said so, but did she really mean it? Could she really make it without him, when she loved him so much? His rejection stung badly.

"Would it be so bad?" she said, fighting back tears, "seeing us everyday?"

"Excruciating," he honestly said, looking straight into her big brown eyes.

"I never knew you hated me this much," she whispered, standing up, "I mean, I knew you didn't love me. I was there, so it was convenient to fuck me. I know how practical you are and I'm sure seducing former students falls under the same criteria as the rest of your life. But I never thought that the sight of me repulsed you so much. I never thought that it would be disgusting to look in the eyes of the baby you helped to create,"

Severus knew that she was baiting him. She wanted him to react, to contradict what he had just said. She had misunderstood his words but he would never correct her. She was choosing the right path, a path that would take her away from him; a path that would lead her to a happier life.

"Answer me, Severus," she said, walking to where he was and grabbing his collar with both hands, calmness forgotten, "tell me that you are repulsed by me… that you hate your son… and I will leave you alone, I swear I will... just tell me, please…. Just tell me that you want nothing to do with us…," she was crying now, desperately so, clinging to his clothes like there was no tomorrow. And when she looked up at him, when she looked into his eyes, he knew he was helpless. Cupping her face with both hands, he whispered the only thing that he knew was true, regardless of the consequences.

"No," he said, inches away from her mouth, "you don't repulse me, Miss Granger. In fact I…,"

But suddenly he couldn't see because a mass of brown curls had clouded his vision. He had hair in his mouth, under his nose, against his eyes; there was hair everywhere but he didn't mind it in the least. It smelled of her and the softness of her body pressed against his was heaven. He had missed this, gods, he had missed this.

"I love you, Severus," she confessed between sobs, "I don't want to do this alone," she said.

It was the strangest thing. He didn't remember shoving a Bezoar down his throat but that's what it felt like when he swallowed. Feeling Hermione's arms around his neck, hugging him so tightly he thought he was going to choke, was painful. Her tears against his neck felt like acid on his skin. And her words sounded like a silent prayer. "Don't leave me," she kept repeating. And it somehow soothed his soul. "I won't," he said. And he wouldn't. Not really. Not now that he had discovered, with Hermione in his arms, that he was capable of being someone else, someone better.

As he carried Hermione to the small bed against the wall, Severus Snape knew that he was a new man and that a better life was possible. At least for now; at least till morning.

**A/N: This is not the ending, don't worry! I am not so sure about the quality of this chapter…especially that last part… but I wanted Hermione to "clean" Severus in a spiritual sort of way and I think that it came across okay…sort of… maybe not! You tell me about it! I love reviews. I have them for breakfast. They are yummy!**

**You will probably like chapter 13 better- I'm totally pimping it right now. It will have a bit of smut… and a couple of important plot-twists that have been hinted in chapter 11 and 12… so you will like it! Stay tuned because the story is only…what? 3 chapters away from the ending! Can you believe it? What?? You don't think I will write the chapters soon enough, you say? Well, there's only one way to speed up the writing process and that is… reviewing! So do it and be the next cool kid on the block! ;)**

**Florence**


	13. Chapter 13

**Conquest Is Easy, Control Is Not**, by Florence W. Snape

**Chapter 13:**

Being inside Hermione was fantastic, Severus thought as he kissed her tear-stained cheeks. He had been created to love this woman. It amazed him how long it had taken him to figure it out. He liked everything about her. He liked the way her hair always got in the way, the way her teeth always left marks on his skin, the way her alabaster skin turned a wonderful shade of pink underneath him. She was beautiful. Merlin, she was so beautiful moaning his name again and again and her mouth seemed to have been designed for this purpose alone. He had been kidding himself before: it was impossible for Hermione to leave him now. He would never be able to accept the fact that another man could elicit the same kinds of reactions from her.

"I've missed you," she said, wrapping his arms around her neck and pulling him forward to kiss his lips, "I've missed this so much…,"

Severus said nothing as he kissed her cheeks and her forehead and even the little spot underneath her ear that always made her shiver in anticipation. He wanted to say something- anything- about the conclusions he had reached, about the terrible mistake he had made that awful night… but he didn't trust himself to speak. Having Hermione move underneath him in such a wanton way was fantastic but it could never rival the fact that she had accepted him, that she had asked him to be a part of her life, that this woman- this slip of a girl with her feelings so exposed he didn't need Leglimancy to tell what she was feeling- had changed everything about him. It was so overwhelming, in fact, that instead of building up walls like he had done since before he could remember- even before Lilly, even before Hogwarts- he just let go of all pretences and _felt_.

And it felt wonderful. Doing it the Muggle way was certainly different. It is one thing to vanish clothes non-verbally but it's another thing entirely to take them off one by one, slowly increasing the already palpable anticipation they were feeling. It hadn't been long since they had last been together but all those times had been about the sex, about the naughtiness of their coupling. This time their kisses were so fierce and their caresses so desperate, it seemed they were sending a non-verbal message with their bodies.

Severus tried to take the lead, like he had always done before, and unclasped her bra. Her tits weren't really bigger, he thought as he cupped her bare breasts with his hands, but it was too early in her pregnancy to see a real difference. Slowly his hands explored down her ribs, where she was most ticklish, and then they slowly stroked her still flat stomach. Inside, he knew, there was her baby, their baby. It felt odd to even think about it but when he looked up at Hermione, she was smiling sweetly at him and the words "their baby" didn't seem so foreign anymore. Hugging her, he pressed his cheek on her belly and stayed there, trying to take it all in. He was going to be a father and, suddenly, the immensity of it all filled him up like a balloon and for a second there he felt like his heart and his lungs were going to explode. And then the unthinkable happened: he started crying.

It was not a cry worthy of Moaning Myrtle by any means. It was more of a chocking sound, to be honest, that started in his stomach and ended in his throat. There were no thick tears like Hermione's but his eyes were teary and red and a single tear had travelled all the way down to his long nose, where it hung precariously. Hermione was shocked, so much so because she had little experience with Severus Snape behaving like a human being, but stroked his hair all the same.

She wanted to ask him if he was alright, wanted to investigate the reasons behind his sudden breakdown but she knew it was hardly the time to ask such questions. He would snap, get up and leave her half naked without ever looking back. So instead she did the only thing she knew how to do: she made love to him.

She placed both her palms on his jaw and made him look up. The image of an overwhelmed Severus Snape almost made her choke herself. His skin looked sickly pale under the moonlight, even more so than usual, and she caressed the cheeks of this man she had grown to love so much. She loved his hard features, loved his hooked nose and his strong cheek bones but most of all she was in love with the small lines in his forehead and between his eyes. They were the evidence that this was a man who was used to scowling and she fancied herself capable of changing that, if only he let her.

"You scowl too much," she whispered as she changed positions and pinned him to the bed, straddling him, "You have wrinkles between your eyes,"

He said nothing as she kissed those wrinkles he had grown to hate. He remained silent mainly because her hips were moving deliciously over his already erect cock but also because for the first time he was allowing her to take control over their coupling. And it aroused him and shocked him at the same time.

"Just let it go," Hermione said as she ripped open his shirt. She explored his chest and his stomach very much in the same way he had done to her before breaking down. He was a skinny man, no doubts about it, but he was always remarkable insecure about his stomach. She wondered briefly if he felt the same way about other parts of his body. Briefly because Severus' cock was pressing wonderful parts of Hermione's anatomy, parts she had neglected to touch for a long time, parts that hadn't been touched since he had almost… no. It was no use thinking about that now.

Kissing her way down his bare chest and stomach, she unzipped his parts and pulled down his underwear. His cock was as fantastically erect as she had assumed it would be and it stood there, stiff and soft, at her mercy. She touched it once softly, and she was rewarded with a moan that suggested his anguish was over. This was better, this Severus she could handle.

She lightly kissed the end of his cock and let her tongue playfully lick the tiny hole. She had been here before, she had enjoyed doing this in the Restricted Section of the library but this was another thing entirely. Back then he had grabbed her hair and fiercely shagged her mouth, making her gag. This time she was the one in control of her movements and he was the one adjusting to her actions. He was the submissive one this time around and she rather liked it.

As she continued licking the tip, his member began to spasm a little and she decided to move her tongue a bit. Slowly running her tongue down his shaft she started teasing the underside to his testicles, leaving a slight trail of saliva on her way down. Her tongue, then, started to dance around the sensitive skin, sucking briefly on each ball in turn as she kept taunting him, leading him to a state of complete arousal. Meanwhile, Severus was moaning louder and louder, bucking his hips, seeking more.

Hermione, however, was in a teasing mood. She went all the way up to the tip and blew on it, making him grunt in desperation. He wanted more, she could tell, and frankly so did she but first she wanted to make him crazy with need.

Wrapping her lips around his erection, she took him in her mouth as far as it would go. She remembered all to well what Severus Snape was capable of doing when given a blow job so she used her hands this time as she bobbed her head up and down.

And sure enough, in no time, he was grabbing her hair and pushing up, trying to reach the very end of her throat. Expertly, Hermione started stroking it with both her hands. She could feel his cock pulsing under her palms and one look at his face told her that his need for stimulation was over.

Straddling his hips, she positioned herself near his shaft. It was almost begging her to sink lower, to impale herself on it and she was most happy to oblige. And as she did, Severus closed his eyes and remembered a passage he had read from a Muggle book not long before Hermione had come back into his life: "I went into the desert to forget about you. But the sand was the colour of your hair. The desert sky was the colour of your eyes. There was nowhere I could go that wouldn't be you". He hadn't understood the need, the longing, back then… but he did now.

* * *

"This is verging on the criminal," said Professor McGonagall as Dumbledore placed the tiny snow globe back on his desk.

"Don't be absurd," the old man said with a smile, "I wasn't spying on their coupling…I was just making sure their fight had ended all right,"

"Whatever you say, Headmaster," she said sternly while walking to one of the armchairs next to Poppy who was snoring loudly. "I suppose we should wake her and tell her the good news…"

"Leave her," said Dumbledore. He reached inside one of his pockets and took a pack of cards and offered them to McGonagall, "Fancy a game?" he asked her.

"I might as well stay. Severus and Hermione may request to be sent back in any minute," she told him while adjusting her spectacles.

"I wouldn't count on it, Professor…. I wouldn't count on it,"

* * *

They took a few more days off to relax on their snow globe cottage. Severus feared he was being watched but he enjoyed this new found intimacy too much to deny Hermione the chance of some quiet and alone time. If she wanted to stay, he wasn't going to complain. Granted, fighting sometimes ends in the best kind of sex but they were skating on thin ice still and he didn't want to ruin it. Not this, not now.

She was reading at his feet, in front of the fire. She told him her back ached on soft surfaces but he suspected she enjoyed resting against his knees- they went back, his knees and her. He couldn't help but suppress a smile at the memory of Hermione wantonly rubbing herself on them, trying to reach her own climax. That was the first time they had fucked. How was it possible for things to change so much in only two months? He never thought of himself as the kind of man who would want to settle down and have children… and yet circumstances had proved him wrong.

"A Sickle for your thoughts," she said, looking up at him from the floor with a big honest smile. It always killed him when she smiled like that.

"I think the current rate is a Knut," he answered, caressing the top of her head.

"Be honest," Hermione said, standing up and sitting on his lap, resting her head on his chest.

"You are getting heavier," he whispered into her ear. He was joking but knew, as soon as the words had come out of his mouth, that he would live to regret them. And so he did when she elbowed him right on the ribs.

"Thank you very much, Severus Snape! Let me tell you that I already know I look hideous without your stupid remarks about my weight," she answered, offended. Severus chuckled at this. She was beautiful when she got mad.

"Beauty unaware of itself is the most beautiful," he told her.

"Yes, stretch marks are all the rage these days…," she replied, cynical. He had rubbed off on her.

"Come on, Hermione," he said, putting both arms around her waist and pulling her up so that her head rested next to his chin, "You should know that beauty is skin deep and that the world is full of thin skinned people,"

She smiled at that.

"I love you," she whispered quietly, as the gentle rocking of his body lulled her to sleep.

And when he thought she couldn't hear him, he whispered back: "I love you too,"

* * *

**A/N: I know….I almost completely abandoned this fic but I've set myself a goal: to finish it. The story may have progressed a bit faster than I would have hoped originally… but such the life of the WIP author. I think you won't be disappointed with the next chapter, though…which may be the last one + an epilogue of sorts. **

**Thank to everyone who've read the story and reviewed! I'm making this extra effort to give an ending to a story I've loved writing. **

**See you, hopefully, as soon as possible ;) **

**Oh! And this story is filled with famous quotes! See if you can find them! **


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